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Life Among the Hindus. 



BEING A JOUENAL OF DAILY EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVA- 
TIONS DURING TWO YEARS OP LIFE, LABOR AND 
TRAVEL AMONG THE PEOPLES OF INDIA. 



BY — 



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Rev. p. M. JOHNSON, M. A., 



MISSIONARY TO THE TEIiUGUS. 



ST. LOUIS: 

C. B. Woodward Company. 
1893. 



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Copyright 1893, by 
r. M. Johnson. 



All rights reserved. 






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To my wife^ whOy far more than m,yselfy has had 
to suffer for Christ, this little volum-e is m-ost affec- 
tionately dedicated. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 
Chapter I. 

The Departure and Voyage 9 

Chapter II. 
Introduction to Life in India 15 

Chapter III. 
Language and Customs 25 

Chapter IV. 
A Hindu Wedding : Hot Winds 41 

Chapter V. 
Across the Burning Sands: Famine 49 

Chapter VI. 
Origin of Idolatry : Religion of the 

Hindus 59 

Chapter VII. 
Degeneration, the Fruit of Idolatry 75 



6 CONTENTS. 

Page. 
Chapter YIII. 

Persecution: Mohammedanism 87 

Chapter IX. 
The Telugu Mission : Its Beginning and 

Struggles.-: 105 

Chapter X. 
The Break of Day: Triumph of the 

Gospel 111 

Chapter XI. 
Shadows begin to Deepen : Sickness and 

Death 125 

Chapter XII. 
The Sad Farewell : Homeward Voyage : 

Storm at Sea 143 



►^I'-f-r^ 



INTEODUCTION. 

The substance of the following pages has 
been delivered in the form of lectures a num- 
ber of times since our return from India. It 
has been thought, if put in book form, it might 
reach hundreds of people more than would 
ever have opportunity of hearing the lectures, 
and so impart that information which would 
lead to a far deeper interest in the great cause 
of the world's evangelization. In the compo- 
sition, with reference to both the style and 
the arrangement, an effort has been made to 
make it a volume of practical information, 
especially for those who may not have the 
opportunity of reading more extensively 
concerning the things mentioned in these 
sketches. 

We hope these pages may be used of God 
to bring our people nearer in prayer and in 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

sympathy to the millions of their Hindu 
brothers and sisters; and we earnestly pray 
that, if it be God's will, some who read here 
may be led to go in his name, "To give light 
to them who sit in darkness and in the shadow 
of death, to guide their feet into the way of 

peace." 

P. M. Johnson. 
August 11, 1893. 



CHAPTER I. 
The Departure and Voyage. 

The last farewell had been said, and we 
walked somewhat restlessly up and down the 
deck of the " Scythia," waiting for the signal 
of departure from the homeland. Just at 1 
o'clock, p. M., October 4, 1890, we moved 
slowly out of the Boston harbor into the 
Atlantic. We watched the last dim outlines 
of our native country go down in the western 
horizon, and then turned to look through our 
silent tears upon the broad ocean before us. 

The mingled hopes and fears, joys and sor- 
rows which then filled our hearts, no one can 
ever tell; and none, save those who have ex- 
perienced them, may ever know. But the 
Lord who said to us '' Go," was indeed with 
us, was our strength and comfort. The 
voyage to Liverpool was, altogether, very 
pleasant; there being a number of other 
missionaries with us. That unmerciful mon- 
ster, sea-sickness, would insist on keeping us 



10 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

company, and very often we had to leave a 
richly laden table to pay our respects to him. 
As we had to wait two weeks in England, 
the time was very pleasantly and profitably 
spent in sightseeing in the great metropolis, 
and other historical parts of the wonderful 
old island of Britain. Among other things, 
we shall never forget the hour spent in* 
^Spurgeon's Tabernacle, listening to the 
"wonderful words of life" from the lips of 
the greatest preacher since the days of the 
Apostles. He, in fact, preached with the 
power and demonstration of the Spirit. We 
sat in the midst of an audience of six thous- 
and, when Spurgeon came forward, he 
said in a loud voice: **Let us worship 
God," and began his prayer: *'Our Lord, 
make us abundant in that child-like spirit 
which submits to the will of the Father," 
The whole character of the man was certainly 
revealed in those words. 

For this the secret fountain of his wealth, 
He sought to know and do his Father's will. 

This good man whose heart ever yearned 
for the lost of his people, sleeps now in 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 11 

The grave of England's greatest, noblest child, 
And he that trusted, leaning on his God, 
Shall speak, though dead, and dead, shall yet outlive 
Ten thousand of his fellows living yet. 

October 25th, we boarded the '*Clan Mc- 
Arthur," headed for India. Our course was 
southward through the Bay of Biscay and 
thence through the Straits of Gibraltar. A 
magnificent scene in passing this strait. We 
entered near midnight, 

And there we saw in moonlight pale 
Old Afric's northern mountain crests 
Like hugest ghosts in somber vail, 
Rise up from that dark continent. 
Gibraltar's famous rocks arose, 
Like monuments divinely built ; 
Sought in the moonlight to disclose 
The solemn grandeur of the hour. 
Here dimly burnt the beacon lights, 
Out in the hazy distance shone ; 
And weird and solemn all the sights 
That moved the hearts upon our ship. 

Onward over the Mediterranean Sea sighting 
Algiers, we came upon the island of Malta, or 
Mileta, where Paul was shipwrecked. A 
half-day was spent in looking over this 
interesting island. Our next landing was 
Port Said, the entrance to the Suez Canal. 



12 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

Here we get our first sight of real heathenism. 
Men and boys crowd around us, some with a 
kind of loose sack thrown over their bodies, 
suspended by a draw-string around the neck. 
The people here, as in most of northern 
Africa, are chiefly Mohammedan in religion. 

The passage through the Suez Canal, about 
a hundred miles, is very interesting. Passing 
on through the sandy desert, constantly 
traversed by camels between Assyria and 
Egypt, we came to the Bitter Lakes. They 
are supposed to be part of the northern arm 
of the Red Sea, when it extended much 
farther north than it now does. The passage 
through the Red Sea would be delightful 
were it not so exceedingly hot, as it usually is. 
Off to our left, in Arabia, was the Sinai range 
of mountains, while on the right, the African 
hill tops, near sunset, are lit up by the rosy 
tints from the gorgeous array of clouds that 
surround the sun in his going down, and 
reflect a beautiful sheen over the waters where 
once, upon dry land, the chosen of God 
passed safely over. 

Through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, 
the Indian ocean, we landed next on Ceylon, 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 13 

the island of spices and of Buddhist idolatry. 
Truly this is one of the most beautiful islands 
of the sea. Luxuriant vegetation, the best of 
tropical fruits, and beautiful flowers, abound 
every where and all the time. And all this 
beauty of nature is only marred by the 
numberless Buddhist temples, over which the 
soft, scent-laden breezes mingle with their 
rustling music the din of heathen worship. 
Truly the poet hath written : 

What though the spicy breezes 
Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle, 
Where every prospect pleases, 
And only man is vile? 
In vain with lavish kindness 
The gifts of God are strown ; 
The heathen in his blindness, 
Bows down to wood and stone. 

Three days more brought us to India ; and 
here we are, after two months of travel, sight- 
seeing and waiting, worn and weary, at our 
journey's end. 



CHAPTEK II. 
The Introduction to Life in India. 

We came into the Madras harbor at night, 
and had to wait for morning dawn to go 
ashore. The sun rose clear and bright over 
the Bay of Bengal. With great eagerness 
we rose to get the first sight of the country 
which was, henceforth, to be our home. The 
harbor was already filled with small boats, and 
men and boys crying out the sale of their 
goods, or inviting us to go ashore in their 
boats. They were as dark as the Indians of 
the West; having, most of them, long, coarse 
black hair, clearly outlined features, medium 
height, or smaller, and with little or no cloth- 
ing on their slender bodies. The city of 
Madras lay out before us, not very inviting. 
There are a few nice government and other 
buildings, but the native city is a continuous 
number of mud huts set closely together. 
The streets are narrow and very filthy. 

We were met on the steamer by Revs. Drake, 
Downie and Heinrichs, who greeted us with a 



16 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

hearty welcome. They brought us letters of 
welcome from most of our missionaries in 
India, and assisted us in getting ourselves and 
baggage ashore, and our baggage through the 
Custom House. By this time we were feeling 
the heat of the sun and were glad to arrive, 
at last, in the pleasant Perambur bungalow, 
where a good breakfast was awaiting us. It 
will be remembered that in India it is custom- 
ary among missionaries to have four meals a 
day. A very light meal, called chotta hazaree, 
at six or seven in the morning; breakfast at 
ten or eleven; a cup of tea with English 
biscuits or fruit at three o'clock, and dinner 
at six in the evening. This suits the hot 
climate better than our American style. Mr. 
and Mrs. Drake, by their kindness, made us 
feel quite at home, and we enjoyed two days' 
rest in their house. During this time we 
looked over the city a little, and acquainted 
ourselves with some of the polite tradesmen. 
Enter a shop to buy a topic, or sun hat, and 
ask the price of it. The answer will be : 
"Twelve rupees, master, twelve rupees; this 
is a first class topic, sir." ''O, I can't pay so 
much for this topic." *'How much, master 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 17 

give, sir; how much give?" " Tell me proper 
prices." "Give me nine rupees?" *'No, I 
can't give so much." " Well, tell how much 
give; master knows price." ''I'll give you 
four rupees." *'Can't take four rupees; good 
topic, sir; see." *'Well, I'll go somewhere 
else and buy." ''All right sir, take sir, never 
mind." And thus you have your hat after 
wasting enough time and talk to have bought 
forty acres of land. But such is Hindu custom. 
Though in Madras, we were yet a long way 
from Ongole, the station to which we had been 
appointed. After a little rest, much needed 
and greatly enjoyed, we then took the train 
for Nellore. The whole day was occupied by 
the journey of about one hundred and fifty 
miles. A little after dark we walked into the 
Nellore compound where we were greeted with 
a song of welcome from the school children, 
and were made at home with our dear friends, 
Mr. and Mrs. Heinrichs, who were then 
temporarily stationed in Nellore with Dr. 
Downie. We spent Sunday with them, and 
enjoyed our first privilege of speaking, through 
an interpreter, to the Telugus. The mission 
houses, with flowers always in bloom, yards 



18 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

shaded by evergreens, casurina, margosa trees 
and tall mangoes, were, indeed, resting places 
in a weary land. From Nellore to our next 
stopping place we are fully initiated into the 
native style of travel in India. We had about 
forty miles to go this stage and, as the days 
are too hot for travel, we must make the 
journey at night. About four o'clock our 
man, Chinniya, whom we had engaged to be 
our cook, brought up the cart in which Mrs. 
Johnson and myself were to make the trip to 
Ramapatam. A cart of two wheels, a kind of 
frame covered over with bamboo matting, 
inside of which we were to make our bed of 
straw. The thing was crowded nearly full of 
our baggage, and then we were to wedge our- 
selves in the best way possible. All was ready 
at length, and the *'bandy man" tied up his 
two little oxen to the cart and we were off, 
jolting and jigging along. We fared splen- 
didly until late at night when we were tired, 
and it began raining. Our covering was not 
sufficient to turn all the rain, and our bed was 
not more pleasant than a Pullman sleeper. 
The rain was slightly chilling to the driver, and 
he was inclined to crawl back as far into the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 19 

cart as possible. Then, occasionally, he 
would get sleepy and, while nodding, the oxen 
would stop. 

We knew only one word in Telugu, and had 
learned that for the special occasion. So I 
would rise up and call out to the driver, 
"poni," which means, let them go. He would 
jump like he was shot at, utter a sleepy groan, 
and then mutter something to the oxen ; so on 
we would go for a little while. But the force 
of my *'poni" would not last long. About 
the time we began to doze a little the cart 
would stop ; and hour after hour in the rain 
and mud, I had to get up and urge the 
procession on, until my little word ''^poiiV^ 
was nearly worn out. When the novelty of 
the occassion didn't amuse us, I really wished 
for a few more Telugu words to express certain 
thoughts of tenderness toward that sleepy 
man and his oxen. You know I could but 
sympathize with them. Morning dawned and 
we were yet ten miles from even a rest house 
where we could stop, sheltered from the burn- 
ing rays of the sun. But the rain had ceased, 
and we had better control of the oxen. So 
about half-past ten we came into Cavili, a 



20 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

village yet twelve miles from Ramapatam. 
Mrs. Johnson was almost exhausted, and I 
fancy I resembled a Comanchee just off a long 
hunt. We had begun to despair of our future, 
when, as we drove up into this village, we 
heard a voice in clear English, "Is Mr. and 
Mrs. Johnson here?" It sounded like the 
voice of an angel. We looked out from our 
close quarters and there was Miss Cummin gs, 
the lady missionary from Ramapatam. She 
had anticipated our troubles and had come to 
meet us. She had brought for us Dr. Boggs' 
English phaeton, drawn by eight strong men. 
O ! what a relief from the old cart. But when 
rested we were glad of the experience. After 
two or three hours in the rest house and a good 
lunch, we started, as it was cloudy, on our way 
to Ramapatam where we arrived about ^ye 
o'clock in the evening, thanking God that we 
were alive. 

After a day's rest in Ramapatam, we must 
make one more stage ere we reached the 
end of our journey and rest in our own house. 
But this stage was quite pleasantly made, as 
we had the phaeton the rest of the way. 
Chinniya could speak a little English and. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 21 

through him, we changed coolies, or men; as 
in such travel we have to pay the old company 
and get new men every ten miles. We pay 
them four annas each, or ten cents a stage. 
As it was cloudy we made this run to Ongole 
in the day time and arrived there a little after 
dark. Dr. Clough gave us a most hearty 
welcome, and we remained in his house until 
our own was arranged and ready for occupancy. 
Dr. Clough 's mission house is a real pleasant 
one. A large yard, well shaded with margosa 
trees, a number of other buildings, including 
the chapel, two small bungalows and the girls' 
boarding school. Here, also, is the beautiful 
baptistry, or pool, where so many have been 
baptized. The high school bungalow, about 
a quarter of a mile to the southeast, was to be 
our home. It was considerably dilapidated, 
and we had to wait till it was partially repaired. 
By and by, everything was arranged and we 
moved in. Now comes the interesting 
experience of hiring servants. We know 
nothing about it, don't know how many we 
need ; but the missionaries all tell us we must 
have servants. We can't do our own work 
in that hot country. But we already" have a 



22 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS, 

cook, and as he can speak a little English and 
seems rather shrewd, we put him in the lead 
and ask him what we must do. A dozen or 
more men and women have already gathered 
around the house, applying for positions. 
Chinniya assumes an air of importance, as only 
a Hindoo in authority can do, and demands of 
each one of the applicants what he can do, and 
how much their former masters paid them. 
They all rise as quickly as if a cobra was after 
them, and make their salaams and bow nearly 
to the ground two or three times. Then each 
comes forward with his papers, if he has any, 
and I read them. They are most likely from 
missionaries whom they have served. Many 
of them have but little idea what is written on 
their papers; some of them are pretty good, 
and others not so flattering, and some actually 
mentioning the misconduct for which they 
were discharged. But they fancy because it 
is a paper it must be all right. Out of the 
number we select first a **matey," a young 
man to assist the cook, and wait on the table. 
Next an ''ayah," a woman to wait on Mrs. 
Johnson, and assist in keeping the house 
straight; then a water carrier, and lastly, a 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 23 

sweeper. We announce to the company our 
selections, and the chosen make a nice bow 
while the others begin to fall down on their 
faces and cry *' aygah, timdree^ tuiidree! 
naku puni ladu!^^ (Sir, father, father, I 
have no work. ) But give them a small present, 
five cents, to buy their rice for that day and 
they go away quite happy. Now, we must 
agree on the salaries of those selected. But 
we look at the ^vq standing before us ; we 
remonstrate against having so many servants. 
Two men could easily do all our work. But 
no, sir; they each have their separate work, 
and all the gold of Ophir could'nt hire a cook 
or a matey to sweep. It is not their custom, 
and that settles it. We must have a separate 
man or woman for each department of the 
work. And everybody says we must have 
them, can't live in India and have our health 
without them. So how much does the matey 
want per month? Well, the story of the sun 
hat must be repeated. He thinks he can do 
better work than anyone else and declares he 
never will steal, like all others do ; he is the 
only perfectly honest man in his country. 
He wants nine rupees. But we have antici- 



24 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

pated these difficulties and informed ourselves J 

about salaries. So, to make matters short, we 
say, '*Five rupees is enough for you; if you 
can't work for that we will call some one 
else. ' ' ' 'Very well, sir. ' ' The same experience 
is gone through with all the others. The 
experienced ayah gets six rupees a month, the 
water carrier two, and the sweeper two. They 
all always board themselves. (The govern- 
ment rupee is worth about forty cents.) Now, 
our housekeeping machinery is set in motion. 



CHAPTER III. 
The Language and Customs. 

The experience of a missionary on his 
arrival in India, is rather amusing. The 
native Christians miist crowd around him 
almost everytime he steps out of the house. 
They all make their polite salaams and have a 
thousand questions to ask. So they begin 
with their bombardment of questions, never 
thinking in their excitement and joy that it is 
all Dutch to the missionary. There he stands, 
after he has said his salaam, and can go no 
further. By and by, some one happens to 
think that the missionary doesn't know 
Telugu, and in a voice above all the others, 
announces his discovery. Then both the mis- 
sionary and the Telugus enjoy a hearty laugh 
at each other's awkwardness in the situation. 

After the housekeeping is arranged, the 
next thing is the employment of a '' munsJii,'' 
or native teacher. You will already have had 
a number of applicants with their papers, if 
they have ever been employed in the work 



26 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

before. You make your selection, agree on a 
salary, usually ten or fifteen rupees a month, 
and begin work at once. Your teacher, next 
morning., enters the room, in new cloth, and 
pompously addresses you, "Good morning, 
your honor ; I hope your honor will be quite 
well this morning." He then comes down 
from *'your honor" to assume that you know 
absolutely nothing — and maybe you don't 
know very much — and begins with joii like 
you were a four year old child. After he has 
talked on for fifteen or twenty minutes, using 
all the swelling words in English he can com- 
mand, you are getting a little tired and tell 
him you understand all that, to come down to 
business and give you an introduction to the 
Telugu alphabet. Then you must teach him 
how to teach you, or he will talk for a whole 
day all around the subject, going off into 
Sanscrit and trying more to display his own 
learning than to impart instruction to you. 
The alphabet is the most difficult part of the 
Telugu, excepting, perhaps, the pronunciation 
of words of Sanscrit origin. There are in 
common use in the alphabet forty-eight 
primary characters, thirty-five consonants and 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 27 

thirteen vowels. These characters are so 
combined as to make over four hundred and 
fifty letters. Besides these, there are enough 
signs and letters in all to make over five 
hundred characters in the Telugu alphabet. 
But the alphabet once mastered, as each letter 
has only one sound and each word is spelled 
just as pronounced, the spelling and reading 
is quite easy. The Telugu is a beautiful 
poetic language; called the ** Italian of the 
East." It is of Dravidian origin and is much 
mixed with Sanscrit. The following hymn, 
'' Nothing but the Blood of Jesus," in Telugu 
and Roman characters, is given as a sample of 
the Telugu, the language spoken by about 
seventeen millions of people on the eastern 
coast along the Bay of Bengal, between 
Madras and Vizagapatam and extending west- 
ward toward Goa — about half the peninsula. 



28 life among the hindus. 

'* Nothing But the Blood of Jesus." 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 29 

1. Adi papum thesunu, 
Yasa racthum mathrum ; 
Adi swastha partsunu, 
Yasu racthum mathrum. 

Chorus: Ha devyah racthamu! 
A bugga vinnaha! 
Vwarami laduga, 
Yasu racthum mathrum, 

2. Ikabali tsalunu, 

Yasu racthum mathrum; 
Naku samadhanamu, 
Yasu racthum mathrum. 

3. Papiki ashrayamu, 
Yasu racthum mathrum; 
Papa pari haramu, 
Yasu racthum mathrum. 

4. Adi shudha chasunu, 
Yasu racthum mathrum; 
Adi shantha partsunu, 
Yasu racthum mathrum. 

Tliis language is not at all hard of 
acquisition, if one takes up its study in 
earnest and continues it a few months. By 
and by it will come quite easily. It usually 
requires a year or eighteen months to be able 
to discourse at leno^th in Telusju. 

During the study of the language we can 
do but little else. We often go out with the 



30 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

native preachers evenings and mornings, and 
though we cannot command the language to 
preach, it encourages the native Christians 
and affords the new missionary an excellent 
opportunity to study the people with their 
peculiar manners and customs. As we start 
out along the narrow, dirty street, the people 
eye us, some with amazement and some w4th 
disdain. Some respect us heartily from a 
sense of our personal and intellectual superi- 
ority, while others in the pride of their caste, 
would not come near a Christian for fear of 
pollution. Thirty or forty years ago, a 
Brahmin meeting a Christian in the road 
would walk a great distance around him, and 
if a Brahmin met a low caste native, whether 
Christian or not, the poor, unfortunate man 
must leave the road entirely, even if he had 
to go into a ditch or mud hole. This caste 
system is a most formidable thing. It is a 
gigantic wall of defense around Hinduism, 
the most troublesome barrier in the way of 
Christianity. It is the strongest chain with 
which the devil could bind a nation, and with 
it the Hindus have been so bound for 
centuries that naught but the Almighty hand 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 31 

can free them. Caste separates the people 
into numberless sects and classes, it precludes 
brotherly love ; it fills all classes with preju- 
dice which ripens into hatred one against 
another; it forbids progress, leads to crime 
and dwarfs or destroys all the finer sensibilities 
of the soul. So we find them at last a nation 
of slaves, slaves to one another and to them- 
selves, slaves to the vile passions which rule 
them. There are among the Hindus four 
principal castes, viz. : the Brahmins, or 
original priests; second, the Kshetryas, or 
rulers; third, the Yysias, or merchantmen; 
and fourth, the Sudras, or laboring classes. 
This latter class is divided into a great 
number of sects, each having its name 
according to its occupation. Hindu law or 
custom forbids these casts from intermarry- 
ing, or even from eating together, and the 
penalty for breaking these rules is total 
abandonment by all the relatives, even wife 
and children. If a high caste man becomes 
a Christian, he must at once leave all his 
family, home and relations, go out into the 
world a vagabond, covered with shame and 
disgrace ; and there is no hope for his return 



32 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

to his family unless they should become 
Christians also. It is easily seen, therefore, 
what it costs a Hindu to be a Christain, and 
what a formidable barrier is caste. 

Besides the caste people, there is a fifth- 
class, who are considered by all others as 
outcasts. They are divided into two sects 
called Madagas and Malas. They have no 
caste, really, though they are full of caste 
pride and have but little to do with each 
other. Madagas are shoemakers, and Malas 
are weavers of coarse cloth, though now they 
do a great deal of farm work, since English 
merchandise has shortened the demand for 
native made goods. 

The Hindu merchant sits lazily in the midst 
of his goods and calls out occasionally to the 
passers by. If you want anything and he 
can't reach it from his seat, he will often say 
he hasn't got it when you know he has, and 
you must insist on his getting up and looking 
for it. A thousand and one dirty things, 
fruits and sweets, are exposed for sale and 
for the flies. Women sit in rows along the 
shaded side of the streets, busily engaged in 
searching each others heads and when the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 33 

mischievous animals are lifted, sometimes 
three or four at a time from the hair, they 
are as carefully set off on the ground as we 
would place a helpless babe on its bed. The 
Hindus never kill anything. It is contrary 
to their religion to take any kind of animal 
life. They can't kill a poisonous reptile^ a 
scorpion, or even the smallest insect. Hence 
the Hindus never eat meat. They live strictly 
upon a vegetable diet. But the lowest classes, 
or outcasts, will not only eat meat, but are 
often the very vultures of the country, eating 
the loathsome carcasses found dead about the 
fields. This is very common, especially in 
famine times. There is a vast difference 
between classes of people. Perhaps this 
difference of nature and habit is the origin of 
caste, and then caste itself has driven the 
people further apart and degraded them still 
more. The Brahmins are a very cleanly class. 
They bathe their whole bodies every day, and 
wash and robe themselves in clean clothes 
very often. It can be said also to their 
honor that they never debase their bodies 
with poisonous intoxicating drinks. They 
are total abstainers from all intoxicants, yet 



34 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

the Christian (?) English are trying to 
impose their destrojdng liquors upon these 
better Hindus. Certainly the heathen will 
rise up in the day of judgment and condemn 
them. The lowest classes are the opposite of 
almost every virtue, good principle or habit. 
They are filthy, licentious, base in the 
extreme and very ignorant. I have passed 
by great crowds of them late in the evening, 
lying and sitting around the ^'cullu'' (toddy) 
bowls. Then they often . go staggering 
around, men and women together, quarreling, 
fighting, pulling hair and keeping up a 
ojeneral rabble until nine or ten o'clock at 
night, when, if they don't happen to be at 
home, they just tumble down most any where 
in a drowsy, drunken stupor, until next 
morning. On occasions of their annual 
festivities — and they are many — thous- 
ands of these people gather around the 
favorite idol or temple, usually in some shady 
grove, and there they mix with their worship, 
two or three nights and days of revelry in 
drunkenness and vice. Here is depravity 
unbridled. It has become so awful in some 
instances there has been talk of the British 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 35 

government prohibiting such festivals. It is 
a scene to make the devils blush, and a 
wonder that humanity could go so low. O, 
how greatly they need the elevating, saving 
power of the gospel ! 

An idol procession is common on all such 
occasions. The favorite idol is placed on a 
kind of frame on a two wheeled cart, the 
oxen dedicated to the worship of the temple, 
or those consecrated for the occasion, are 
yoked up to the cart, strung with wreaths of 
flowers and their regalia variously painted. 
The idol is usually some rude figure and near 
it, just in front, is a kind of receptacle or 
box to receive the offerings. In the van 
goes a native band, consisting of one to three 
drums and a number of pipes, horns, and 
the like, with which they make the music. 
It is a dreadful din and they seem never to 
weary in their ceaseless marching, piping and 
thumping. 

Following in the rear is a great crowd 
of all the lower classes (the higher caste are 
now often ashamed to be seen in these 
processions), making their various offerings 
of rice, cocoanuts, fruits, etc., and lastly 



36 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

follows on a train of poor, miserable beggars, 
ready when the procession is over to get what 
has been offered to the idol. Laro^e numbers 
of the poor and friendless are almost wholly 
supported in this way. That custom is about 
the only system of public charity known to 
the Hindus. In India, beggars, poor and 
helpless, are most numerous. Almost daily 
they come to the missionary's house, some- 
times six to a dozen at once, and present 
themselves for assistance. If the missionary 
is busy, they will sit down in the yard and 
wait. - When he comes out, or they get sight 
of him even through a window, they will all 
quickly prostrate themselves on their faces 
and hands, and repeat the most pitiful words 
in the most pitiful way they have ever 
learned. The missionary must go out, or 
they will just stay with him. Going out on 
the veranda, there they are; widows and 
orphans, old men and women, decrepit, 
leprous, deformed and distorted, until they 
scarcely resemble human beings. 

Pity them ; pity them ! We must give 
them a little, yet were we to give them much, 
we would soon dispose of all our living. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 37 

Traveling through the streets of an average 
city, crowds of these unfortunate sufferers 
gather around us and cry for help. But 
there is in India another class of beofo^ars, 

Oct ? 

and sometimes it is difficult to distinouish 
them. 

Begging is an honorable profession in 
India. All Brahmins are accustomed from 
time immemorial to make their living; 
altogether by begging. They are ashamed 
of outright begging now ; but there are some 
of the lower class who do nothing but beg. 
They go about in rags, assuming the air and 
tone of the poorest mendicant, when, in fact, 
they may have bags of money buried away 
under some rock. Missionaries in India 
often long for the promised land where there 
will be no more mosquitoes or beggars. 

Hindu etiquette is rather amusing in some 
of its peculiarities. When a Brahmin gentle- 
man visits a missionary, he usually sends some 
one ahead to announce his approach. The mis- 
sionary then returns word for him to come in. 
As he is about to enter the door, he sees that 
his turban or hat is straight on his head, and 
carefully removes his shoes. Rather the 



38 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

opposite to our customs. He will then stand 
all the time if you do not first sit down and 
and tell him to be seated. Then if you rise 
for any cause he will also rise and remain 
standing so long as you are not seated. Thus 
regularly he will rise and sit with his host. 
When the host has talked with his guest for 
a reasonable time, and has work to do, he 
rises and tells his Brahmin guest he may 
take leave and call another time. He con- 
siders it his duty to wait for an invitation to 
go, and he will just stay with you if you 
don't tell him to go. If such were the rule 
of society in America, it would often be a 
great relief to those who have duties besides 
entertainino^ visitors. The usual method of 
greeting, corresponding to our *' Good morn- 
ing," '*Good evening," etc., is to say 
*' Salaam," and at the same time make a 
polite bow, touching the forehead with the 
inside of the open fingers of the right hand. 
The word salaam is used for '^ good morning," 
**good evening," "good by," and ''thank 
you." The Hindu considers it bad etiquette 
to come into your presence while you are 
eating, and he will never put anything into 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 39 

his mouth while in your presence. It is 
customary when a white person, or native 
of rank, visits a high caste Hindu or Moham- 
medan, when the guest is about leaving, his 
host takes a bottle of rose water and sprinkles 
him well all over; sometimes if he has a 
wreath of flowers he hangs them around the 
neck of his guest. This shows his good will 
and a desire to honor him above the common 
rank of his fellows. 

"The world is full of strangely acting 
men." 



CHAPTER IV. 
A Hindu Wedding: Hot Winds. 

« 

Before we left Ongole we had the exceptional 
privilege of attending a wedding among the 
hio:h caste Hindus. To describe it in detail 
would be impossible. It required ten days to 
complete the ceremonies and festivities of the 
occasion. Imagine an American couple ten 
days in the marriage ceremonies; ten days, 
compared to two or three minutes ! Some 
would probably dread it more than they do, 
and old maids and bachelors would be at a 
discount. Don't imagine we attended all 
these ten days, but only about three hours, 
during the principal part of the ceremonies. 
An old Hindu gentleman, who was in truth 
very favorable to Christianity, and which 
accounts for our presence, was having his 
grand-daughter, aged seven years, married to 
a boy ten years old. We must remember, 
however, that this is quite an old couple for a 
Hindu wedding. They are usually married 
between the ages of four and six. At the 



42 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

same time and place, this groom's father, 
aged forty, was married to a girl of thirteen, 
which was quite an unusually old age ; but she 
was the second or third wife. So this was a 
double wedding. It saved time and expense ; 
for high caste Hindu weddings are very 
expensive, sometimes costing as high as two 
thousand dollars. Bands to make music, such 
as it is, must be hired ; dancing girls must be 
employed; all the relatives in the country, 
besides a host of Brahmins, must be fed for 
the whole ten days; and fruits and ornament- 
ations by the wholesale are required. Then 
the parents of the bride and bridegroom must 
fit them up with a rich attire of silks and 
jewelry, amounting often to a thousand dollars 
worth on each one. This jewelry consists in 
heavy gold and silver bracelets, anklets, finger 
rings, toe rings, ear rings, nose rings, hair 
clasps and broad gold and silver belts, besides 
a number of silver cups. The jewelry is often 
the consideration of the marriage, and is 
henceforth kept in the family and handed 
down from generation to generation, and is 
worn and brilliantly displayed on all special 
occasions. When the most imj)ortant of the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 43 

ceremonies come, about the fifth day, the 
bride and groom, with all their attire of silks 
and jewelry, are brought out and seated under 
a booth, all around and above which hangs an 
abundance of fruit and flowers, to represent 
the wishes of the friends, that they may 
always have plenty and be ever so happy. 
Before them burn the candelabra of oil, and 
the priest takes his seat by them. He then 
takes a cocoanut, goes through with a number 
of ceremonies, chiefly in the Sanscrit language, 
the meaning of which he often has no idea ; 
makes, as he supposes, a real God out of the 
cocoanut, lays it down and requires the couple 
to clasp hands and bow to it. He now lights 
a bundle of sticks, pours grease upon them 
and requires the couple to bow a number of 
times in worship to the fire. He then takes a 
piece of gold, perhaps as large as a gold dollar, 
pierced with a single hole, performs his mun- 
thrums over it till he is satisfied it has become 
a real live god. They are compelled to pay 
the most solemn and profound worship to this 
piece of gold, whereupon it becomes, hence- 
forth, the guardian deity of their united life. 
They then hold out their hands toward the 



44 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

flame of the burning oil, and their parents, or 
some near relatives for them, make the most 
solemn vows and promises of marriage, saying 
them over after the priest. Some of those are 
in Sanscrit, and the meaning is wholly unknown 
to either priest or people ; but they must be 
said. Then comes the most solemn and 
important part of the whole affair. The 
priest reverently takes this piece of deified 
gold, which has a string in it, hands it to the 
groom and instructs him to tie it around the 
neck of the bride. If he is too young to know 
how to tie it, he is assisted, and with the tying 
of that knot they become husband and wife. 
The girl becomes the property of her husband, 
and should he die at any time after that knot 
is tied, she is doomed to the fearful disgrace 
of a lifetime widowhood. To be a widow in 
India, means to be the lowest menial servant 
in the family, subject to the abuse of all who 
may meet her, and to live on the refuse of the 
rice bowls of others. 

After this chief act of the ceremonies, all 
the relatives gather around and take handsful 
of rice and throw it over the couple, wishing 
them showers of blessings. It has taken two 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 45 

or three hours to perform these prmcipal acts 
in the ceremonies, and we go home very tired 
of it. Then follow numberless munthrums 
and acts of worship, dancing and piping and 
drumming, eating and revelry, for nearly a 
week longer, until everybody is worn out and 
all go home. The married couple returns 
with their parents, as before, until the girl 
reaches her maturity, from twelve to fourteen, 
when, with some additional festivities, the 
young husband takes her to his own home. 
Then she must implicitly obey her mother-in- 
law as well as her husband, and the slightest 
transgression on her part may bring down 
upon herself a severe flogging. The husband 
considers it his duty, as well as his privilege, to 
whip his wife, if she displeases him in any 
way, and she receives it more meekly than 
children often receive the correction of their 
parents. 

In India we begin to feel the heat quite 
sensibly in February. It increases in intensity 
till May, when the climax is reached. The 
hot winds are the dread of Europeans and 
natives. In April the southwest monsoon, 
winds sweeping up from the Indian Ocean, sets 



46 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

in. These winds, laden with moisture, strik- 
ing the cooler tops of the western Ghauts, 
are condensed and fall in torrents of rain on 
that side of India; but long before these 
winds reach the eastern coast, sweeping over 
burning sands and under a vertical sun, they 
are converted into a hot steam. We have a 
puiikah, or fan, made of a board a foot and 
a half wide and eight or ten feet long, with 
cloth tacked to the under edge of it, swinging 
from the roof by means of ropes, and kept in 
motion by a native outside. He draws a rope 
attached to the punkah and drawn through an 
aperture over the door. By throwing water 
about in the room we can keep tolerably cool. 
Or a better wa}^ to cool the room is to open 
one of the shutters toward the wind, hang up 
in the door a kind of coarse matting, generally 
made of fine grass roots, and have a native to 
carry water and keep it pouring on and con- 
stantly dripping down through the matting. 
The wind blowing through this is moistened 
and cooled, and the room is made quite 
pleasant. During this time the furniture will 
often dry and crack open with a report like 
that of a pistol. The temperature often 



LIFE JPMONG THE HINDUS. 47 

reaches 110 to 115 degrees in the shade. The 
bare limbs of tlie natives frequently become 
rough and glazed over as with a hot iron. 
Throughout the month of May these hot winds 
cease not to wither and parch the green earth, 
and to be the bane of the inhabitants. The 
Telus^us dread them so much that the Christ- 
ians often mention among the joys of heaven, 
the blessed fact, that there will be no hot 
winds there. For the natives, however, this 
hot season is the healthiest. There is no 
malaria or poison in the air. But in June 
these winds give way to a heavy rainfall, 
usually, and the native houses being poor 
protection from the four or six weeks incessant 
rain, they take cold, are filled with malaria, 
and then come chills and fever with a general 
onslauo^ht. Followino^ the rain is a season of 
damp, sultry weather, during which time 
cholera often makes great ravages. The 
principal causes of cholera and other deadly 
diseases and epidemics are the great filth in all 
the cities and towns, poor protection from the 
weather, and bad or scanty food. The poor 
live in poorly covered mud houses, having only 
dn't floors. If the habits of life were in 



48 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

harmony with the laws of nature, the natives 
of India might be measurably freed from 
cholera and enjoy a degree of health, perhaps 
as good as in any other country. But the 
heat is so oppressive to an American that once 
the strength and vitality of health has given 
way, it is almost impossible to restore it in 
India. 



CHAPTER V. 

Across the Burning Sands : Famine, Etc. 

Dr. Clough had returned to America in 
March, and Mr. and Mrs. Heinrichs were 
called to Ongole to conduct the affairs of that 
great mission. With those dear friends, who 
were at all times as our own brother and sister, 
the summer was spent quite pleasantly, and a 
fair knowledge of the language was gained. 
In October we were requested to go to 
Cumbum, a mission station sixty miles west of 
Ongole. To make this journey we must either 
take the ox cart or a four wheel conveyance 
drawn by men. We chose the latter for our- 
selves ; as the weather was so hot we wanted to 
get through as soon as possible. Our house- 
hold goods were all packed, put on carts, a 
few of which were sent on ahead of us, while 
two were left to follow. All our little neces- 
sary accompaniments were placed in the 
phaeton, and by the time our bedding, Mrs. 
Johnson, our baby and myself were all 



50 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

crowded in, we had quite a load. At six 
o'clock p. M., we rolled out of Ongole, with 
eight stronoj men as our. team. We aimed to 
reach Cumbumby ten o'clock the next morning. 
But a little before daylight we missed our new 
set of men, who should have been waiting for 
us, and we were delayed three or four hours. In 
such travel we always get the native officer in 
charge of that district, to write ahead and post 
men for us. But we failed to find men this 
time. Now, the sun was rising hot upon us 
and we were yet thirty miles from Cumbum. 
Our poor little baby was nearly exhausted, and 
Mrs. Johnson was very tired; for neither of 
us had slept any during the night. We 
stopped and ate a little breakfast, which we 
had brouofht with us, and then had five miles 
to go before we could get to any place where 
we could be sheltered from the heat of the 
sun. We reached the rest house about ten 
o'clock and there dismissed our men, for they 
had drawn us already over two regular stages, 
and they were very tired. Here we ate the 
last of our food, as we aimed to have 
been in Cumbum by that time. But we hoped 
to reach Cumbum by eight or nine o'clock 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 51 

that night. Our supply of water was also 
growing low; for we must, -in India, carry all 
our drinking water with us. We now started 
out with new men. Before us lay seven miles 
of burning sand. Had we had anything to 
eat and drink we would have waited till nis^ht 
to cross this desert. The men could not ao 
faster than a slow walk. The sun poured 
down in hot fury, and the reflection and radia- 
tion from the sand were very painful. How 
much we all suffered I could not tell, but the 
worst fell upon our poor little baby, only five 
months old. For him we were very much 
alarmed. At one time there was but little 
hope that we could carry him across the 
desert alive, and, in tears, we urged the men 
on. But the Almighty hand that made the 
desert was there to comfort and strengthen. 
By his blessing we reached the foot of the 
mountain, over the plain of sand, and the 
evening shades brought relief from the awful 
heat; But now we were to confront a new 
trouble. It was four miles to the nearest 
village, and our men refused to go any farther. 
By paying them two days' wages, I induced 
two of them to go away to the village and try 



52 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

to get a new set of men to come and take us 
over the mountain. We waited there, without 
food or water, until late at night for their 
return. But, they finally returned, saying 
that no one would come with them. The 
mountain was steep and rough, and full of 
robbers and tigers. There we were, many 
miles from Cumbum, in a wild country, with- 
out food or water. The men had a few 
handsfull of rice, but not more than they 
wanted. To stay there we could only suffer. 
The men were about to leave us, and I could 
not think of leaving my wife and only child, 
all that was dear to me on earth, alone in such 
a place, to walk four miles to get men to come 
and take us on. We must go on that night. 
So I offered all the men double wages to take 
us on ; but they refused. I offered them three 
and four times the regular wages to go on, 
but still they refused. It was then becoming 
plain to me that they realized they had me in 
their power, and were going to make use of 
their opportunity. I offered them, at last, 
six times the regular pay, but still they 
refused. I could stand it no longer. I 
stepped to the phaeton, and told Mrs. Johnson 



4 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 53 

to be comforted, that we were going now, but 
told her nothing of the real circumstances. 
I then took out a lantern and my revolver and 
told the men to lay hold of that phaeton and 
start out, and not to let loose of it till I told 
them to. They obeyed at once, and we were 
soon going over the rugged mountain. I 
walked right by their side and watched 
each man. I knew it was only about five 
miles over the mountain, to a village where 
lived a number of Christians. So on we went 
till nearly two o'clock in the morning, when 
we came up to the village. God was to be 
praised for his deliverance. Some may be 
disposed to criticise my course, but I have 
only to say, in reply, let them be placed in 
similar circumstances, and see what they would 
do. The men were paid, at last, a little more 
than double wages, and they went away, 
apparently glad that they were so lucky. 
We waked some people, called for the village 
officer, found where the Christians were, and 
a number of them were glad to come to our, 
assistance, and take us on our way. We 
obtained a little dirty water, and drank it at 
the risk of getting the cholera; for the 



54 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

country was full of the disease. We were 
tired, sleepy and hungry, almost beyond 
endurance, but never mind, the God of heaven 
was with us, and we should have plenty soon. 
A little after sunrise we sighted the mission 
house about two miles over the prairie fields. 
Now and then, little groves of cocoanut and 
palm trees, rose up in the morning light, as if 
to welcome us, and, ere long, we were with 
our friends, Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb, who had 
been, for eighteen hours, anxiously looking 
for us. And before us was spread a breakfast 
of plenty. "O, give thanks to the Lord; for 
his mercy endureth forever." 

We arrived in Cumbum in the midst of a 
distressing famine. The monsoon rains for 
the two preceding years had failed of their 
usual quantity. No crops could be made. 
The poor people had nothing to eat, and no 
work to do. Though not so distressing as at 
other times, there was much suffering in the 
land, and some were actually starving. We 
went out among the villages, at one time 
with a government officer to investigate the 
condition of the people. As we passed along 
the road, from village to village, it was most 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 55 

pitiable to see the suffering people following 
after us. Poor women, carrying in their arms 
their starving little ones, running after us and 
begging for help, until their strength gave 
out. We had nothing to give them, but tried 
to comfort them by pointing them away from 
their dumb idols, to the living God, who could 
hear their cries. We secured an appropriation 
from the government for some roads and 
other public relief works, and on these several 
thousands were employed. It is a fearful 
religion that will allow a poor old widow to lie 
out in the streets and starve to death, when 
the wealthy have plenty in their store-houses. 
Yet such was the case in India. As we 
passed through a village, our Christians called 
our attention to an old woman lying on the 
street. We went to her and she could not 
raise herself up ; but she made us understand 
that she had had nothing to eat for several 
days, and the merchants, who had plenty 
stowed away, had need to walk by her several 
times a day, as she lay there in her helpless- 
ness. We called ^ome of the village officers, 
reproved them severely for their wickedness, 
and had them to get the poor woman some- 



56 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 



thing to eat. The reader will clearly see by 
this that there is not among the heathen 
Hindus, the first principle of charity or 
brotherly love. Though from unworthy 
motives, they occasionally help the poor. 
They seem more like brutes ; when one is 
down they are only ready to gore him. O, 
how much they need our Savior's example of 
unselfish love ! In famine times thousands of 
the poor often live for weeks on prickly pear 
apples, with, perhaps, some leaves gathered 
from the trees. These prickly pears grow 
very large and in great abundance in India, 
and, by a wise Providence, they are as plenti- 
ful in famine times as in seasons of rich 
harvests. If they have rice, at all, it is quite 
an ordinary thing, even in common seasons, 
for the poor to have only one meal of rice a day. 
They do well to have that, when we consider 
that they are wholly dependent on their daily 
wages for their living; and the common 
laborer's hire is from five to seven cents a day. 
On this pittance he must feed and clothe him- 
self and family, however large his family may 
be. Their clothing, however, is not much of 
an item. The common laborer wears only a 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 57 

half yard or yard of coarse cloth tied around 
the body. The upper classes dress more 
neatly. The Brahmin wears as a lower gar- 
ment, a ^^puncJia,'' or sort of skirt, suspended 
from the waist, and a *'pi batta," or upper 
cloth, thrown loosely over the shoulders and 
let hang down around the body. The women 
of the upper classes dress very neatly. They 
also have a cloth gathered and hung from the 
waist, in the form of a neat skirt, and then a 
second piece is thrown over the left shoulder, 
crossed under the right arm, wrapped around 
the waist, brought over the right shoulder, 
crossed under the left arm, and is then often 
held in place by a nice silver belt. Many of 
the men, especially Christians, are now adopt- 
ing a light sack coat for the upper garment. 

Our sojourn in Cumbum was only a month. 
The Hanamakonda station, in the Nizam's 
dominions, was then vacant, and a missionary 
urgently needed to take up the work there. 
The journey was made very comfortably on 
the railroad. The brethren of the Deccan 
were in conference in Hanamakonda when we 
arrived. Mr. Maplesden had been in charge of 
the work there, but could give it only 



58 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

occasional visits, as his own station, eighty 
miles away, demanded his best attention. 
Our introduction to the work in Hanama- 
konda was very favorable. The few Christ- 
ians there were very thankful that God had 
answered their prayers and sent them another 
missionary. 

Our stay in Cumbum, though short, was 
very pleasant and profitable. Mr. and Mrs. 
Newcomb, are greatly loved by their people. 
While there, we saw much of the native 
character, and became better prepared for our 
work. 



CHAPTEE VI. 

Oeigin of Idolatry i Keligion of the 

Hindus. 

Far back in the morning of history, when 
the human race was yet in its childhood in- 
nocency, there were none on the earth to 
worship idols. The living God, Creator and 
Father, was known of all men. But the seeds 
of sin were beginning to burst and put forth 
their buds. The enemy of the race was 
stealthily at work in the garden of mankind, 
and he was determined to seduce the human 
heart. The wicked seed choked out the good 
and brought forth its deadly fruit. Cain went 
forth with the seeds of depravity in him and 
the marks of sin upon him ; with the shame 
of the guilty fleeing from the upright. Hence- 
forth the race, receded from the light and 
knowledge of God into the shades of moral 
and intellectual darkness. Depravity led on- 
the downward march. Men in their sinful 
course thought little of God ; they neglected 



60 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

to mention his name to their children. There 
was no written history of God's early dealings 
with man. The story of the creation, of 
man's sin and fall, became more and more 
mixed with fable and uncertainty ; the outlines 
of true history became more and more dim, as 
men grew old in age and in sin; until finally 
truth and God were unknown, and foolish 
man was groping his uncertain way and chasing 
the phantoms of his vile passions in heathen 
darkness. There are to-day many traces among 
heathen races of this downward course ; mile- 
stones marking the stages, one by one, as man 
went down. Among nations where the Bible 
has not been heard of, are mythical stories of 
the creation and fall of man, bearing a sem- 
blance to that of the Bible ; among the follow- 
ers of Confucius, Buddha and Brahma are the 
faint echoes of ancient prophecy of a great one 
rising up by divine power to deliver his people. 
This old Bible idea of a Savior has taken on 
different forms as it went on further into the 
darkness of heathendom. There are many 
traces of it to be found in nearly every heathen 
creed; but thev bear upon their faces the 
marks of inconsistent fable, and stand as 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 61 

proofs to the intelligent that the Bible record 
is the only true one and they are but the 
shadows, or distant and indistinct echoes of 
the original, floating along down through the 
dark ages until the dull ears of men could no 
longer understand ; but their depraved imagi- 
nation caught up the blank and filled it out as 
they chose. They changed the image of the 
incorruptible into corruption itself. Sin led 
on to sin, until the father of sin possessed the 
kingdom. Millions of the human race now in 
total f orgetfulness of God, must worship some- 
thing, and so make them gods after their own 
likeness. O, how fallen ! Man was created 
in the image of God ; but now depraved man 
is making gods in his own image. 

How kindred is this human spirit to that 
which in open rebellion sought to displace the 
Almighty from his throne and set himself up 
instead ! Seeing this near kinship, we may 
say, with sorrowful solicitude, of all idol 
worshipers, **Ye are of your father, the devil." 
Men, by their own actions, locate themselves. 
They bear the likeness of their father. Poor 
fallen man must worship, and if he doesn't 
know the true God, the devil is always there 



^2 LIFE AMONa THE HINDUS. 

to claim his devotion. TJius millions of our 
fellow men fall down before demons and devils, 
and know it not. Proud men in our own 
country know of God and the devil both and 
choose themselves in preference to either ; yet 
the heathen knows better than to worship 
himself. 

In ignorance of God, the worship of some 
was directed toward the sun . This great giver 
of lio^ht and heat was seen to have so much 
influence over all the earth, insomuch that 
all animal and vegetable life was dependant on 
him ; the people knew not to look beyond the 
creature to the Creator, but supposed the sun 
to be god and worshipped it. There are to- 
day many sun-worshippers. In the same way 
they believed the moon, planets and stars to 
be smaller gods, and worshipped them. There 
is a tradition among some that the sun is the 
father of the divine family, the moon the wife, 
and the stars the children. So when they see 
a shooting or falling star they say it is one of 
the children being cast out for his wickedness. 
Seeing that wind, fire and water hold or exert 
a mystic or incomprehensible power, men, in 
their moral darkness, concluded that these 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. , 63 

elements were possessed of divinity, and wor- 
shipped them. The Parsees are devoted fire- 
worshippers to this day, and the Hindus are 
more or less worshippers of fire. The most 
sacred oath or obligation a Hindu can take is 
performed over fire. At this stage of sin, 
ignorance and darkness, into which a great 
portion of mankind had degenerated, we open 
the first pages of Hindu history. We here 
find them with a religion called Vedism or 
worship of the elements. The Vedas, th€ 
oldest sacred books of the Hindus, is a collec- 
tion of songs and prayers addressed to these 
different elements in nature. 

But by and by there seemed to occur a sort 
of reform, and Vedism gave way to Brahmin- 
ism. Brahminism is one step higher. It looks 
beyond the mere elements and conceives of a 
general agency or power, a supreme motor 
that keeps the machinery of nature in motion, 
and names this power, whatever it may be, 
Brahma. Brahma, then, becomes the supreme 
god and claims the highest worship. But 
Brahminism in its purity was not long the 
common faith. Here man makes a blunder 
too common to all classes and nations. He 



64 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

begins to reason from self outward and says 
that Brahma can not be alone as the only 
inhabitant of the realm of diety, and so he 
must have companions to break the cheerless 
solitude. Now come two other gods, and we 
have the Brahmin triad : Brahma, Vishnu 
and Siva. Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the 
preserver, and Siva, the destroyer. But pas- 
sionate man could not be satisfied with three 
gods. Like men, they must have wives. So 
wives they created for their gods, and as they 
do yet, the priests performed the wedding 
ceremonies. Then there must be more gods 
and goddesses. Any number were created; 
one to preside over every distinct feature of 
nature, one for the giving of every separate 
blessing to man. Then there must be evil as 
well as good ones, and so a great number of 
bad gods were created and they must have 
wives ; so the manufacture of gods and god- 
desses goes on, ad infinitum^ until in the laws 
of Manu, an old Hindu sage, we have enume- 
rated no less than three hundred and thirty 
millions of gods and goddesses. Wonderful ! 
India, with more gods than people ; a land 
overflowing with gods, and yet so godless ! 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 65 

This is Hinduism. ''Hinduism," as said by 
another, *'is Brahminism gone to seed." 
Hinduism is tlie present religion of the masses 
of the people of India. It is gross idolatry. 
Every man has his idol ; almost everything is 
an idol. Nearly everything in nature is wor- 
shipped — animal and vegetable. The sacred 
bull is a special object of worship, and all cows 
are looked upon as sacred beings, insomuch 
that the people take the excrement of the cow, 
make a very thin paste and cover the walls of 
their houses with it to purify the air and keep 
away disease. The cow is worshipped devoutly 
by many. All the meanest animals are wor- 
shipped, even the deadliest serpents. 

The cobra is the worst snake in India, as it 
is the most vicious and deadly poison. No 
cure is known for its bite, and its victim 
usually dies in a few minutes. It will attack 
any one who disturbs it. They are numerous, 
also, but not very large, their length being 
usually from four to five feet. The poor 
natives, always afraid of being bitten by 
them, go to their holes with cocoanut milk 
and rice, pour them down into their holes 
and offer prayer to the cobra, beseeching it 



66 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

not to bite them or any of their family. 
Their religion teaches them that it is murder 
to kill any animal; hence no snakes, scorpions, 
or other dangerous animals, are ever killed. 
It would, in fact, in the eyes of some Hindus, 
be a greater sin to kill a cow than to kill a 
woman. For, in truth, a woman is about the 
only thing in creation that a Hindu will not 
worship. 

Because of this fault of religion, India is 
full of all kinds of dangerous wild animals, 
reptiles and insects. It has been estimated 
that in India twenty-five thousand persons are 
destroyed annually by snakes and wild beasts. 
The Bengal tiger is the dread of the country. 
Not a man, woman, or child, who does not 
dread the name of a tiger. 

Panthers, leopards and bears are quite 
numerous. The Mohammedans are the only 
class who would kill any thing, and they have 
never had sufficient firearms to cope with 
"these larger animals. The religion of the 
people destroys its own subjects, both soul 
and body. Of course the high caste Hindus 
never eat meat of any kind, and the mission- 
ary in India, if he has any meat, must obtain 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 67 

a little mutton or chicken from the Moham- 
medans. The Hindus believe also in the 
transmigration of souls , but not to the extent 
Buddhists do. This belief accounts, in part, 
for their indisposition to take animal life ; for 
in killing a dog, they might be guilty of 
murdering an uncle or grandfather. Their 
souls are said to be born again into higher or 
lower animals, according as they have been 
good or bad. If bad, they will, next-birth 
enter into the cattle herd; if bad there, they 
will next time, perhaps, be a dog; if a bad 
dog, they may next time be a snake, and so 
on down to the lowest insect. But if a good 
man he will next be a wealthy officer ; if still 
good, next time he will be a king, and if a 
good king, he will then enter the realm of 
inferior deity; then a superior god, and 
finally, according to the Buddhist theory, if 
he holds out faithful, he reaches the blest 
Nirvana, or the state of annihilation. After 
he reaches that state, there is no more fear 
of his ever becoming degenerated into a lower 
being. 

That is the highest happiness, and the 
most inspiring hope this poor religion has to 



68 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

offer to suffering mankind. How dark! The 
mere hope that after thousands and perhaps 
millions of years of perseverance in good 
works and self torture, the poor soul may 
have the bliss of going out of existence as a 
safeguard against further evil ! But the 
Christian, after a few years of conflict with 
sin and sorrow, during which time he has the 
support and comfort of the unseen but ever 
present Spirit, leans confidently, in the hour 
of death, on a merciful and forgiving Savior, 
and with him at last, enters into mansions of 
resplendent glory; there to be at home 
forever ! Joy, bliss, and endless praise ! ! 
O, how different! How much these people 
need Christ ! Dear reader, could you go and 
make Him known to them? 

On every hill top, under every green tree, 
their temples and pagodas stand. Crowds of 
people may be seen in the early morning 
making their way out from the villages, 
gathering around the public wells for the 
purificatioja baths. These are taken by 
pouring water over their bodies out of earthen 
pots; and then in their blindness, they 
gather around the temples. The larger 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 69 

temples have an inner small chamber where 
the idols are kept ; then an inner and an outer 
wall. There will be, perhaps, a very large 
idol to which the temple is dedicated; then, 
associated with it, a nmnber of smaller ones. 
The worshippers enter the gate of the outer 
wall, approach the inner gate, confront the 
idols, and then with clasped hands, bow to 
the earth, calling on the name of the idol. 
Rising, they walk slowly around the temple, 
until they reach the same front again, when 
they repeat their worship. Depending on the 
nature of their troubles, they may keep up 
this process of worship from one hour to all 
day. Mothers carrying their children around 
the temples, teaching the helpless innocents 
to fall down before an ugly block of stone. 

The Hindus have only two reasons for 
their worship. First, because they are in 
need and want something; and, second, 
because they fear some approaching danger 
or disease. To obtain the one and keep away 
the other is the object of all their worship. 
How different from the Christian's worship! 
As well as trusting God for those things 
which we daily need, and to protect us from 



70 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

all evil, we worship our God because he is 
our Creator. Legions of angels cease not 
neither day nor night to worship Him, and, 
should not mortal man, in spirit and truth, 
worship God ? We worship Him because he 
has shown us such depths of love. He has in 
great mercy prepared for us a way of eternal 
salvation, salvation through a wonderful 
sacrifice, which He himself has laid on the 
altar for us. Shall we not lay upon the altar 
of His worship the deepest affections of our 
hearts? O, we look into the love-beaming 
face of a Christ who saves us ; and we 
worship ! We look confidently on to the 
blissful home of the soul which he has pre- 
pared for us and we worship. But the 
heathen, in his distressing need, goes out to 
his dumb idol ; he stares famine or disease in 
the face, and tremblingly turns to the cold 
stone for protection. With a dreadful sense 
of guilt and foreboding of a dark and awful 
future, he flees to the dead image that 
mockingly, only echoes his cries. And when 
his body is tired, he returns to his lonely 
hovel more distressed and shrouded in dark- 
ness than ever before. Yes, "Why do the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 71 

heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain 
thing ? ' ' The heathen beclouded in spiritual 
darkness, convinced of the vanity and folly 
of his worship, sits down in dispair to die, 
and be numbered with his forefathers. Lost! 
lost!! LOST!!! 

O, sad and awful death! 

No hope of God; beneath the sod, 

His mortal body lies. 

No hope of heav'n, no sins forgiv'n ; 

So with his dying breath, 

To sink to hell, and there to dwell, 

In endless pain and sighs. 

Rarely do we find in India a man who, 
feeling the burden of sin, desires inward 
peace and seeks relief of his gods. But one 
notable case of this kind deserves special 
mention. He was a rajah, or king, of a 
small district lying northwest of Ongole. 
During a great many years he had made 
many pilgrimages to the noted shrines of 
India, and each time was only the more 
burdened. He tortured himself and suffered 
many privations in his fruitless endeavors to 
obtain that peace for which the soul was 
longing. And when at last, he heard Dr. 
Clough pre^^ching Jesus as the healing balm 



72 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

of the soul, he clapped his hands and shouted 
before all the people, "Praise to the God of 
peace ! Jesus, the Savior ! That is what I 
have been hunting for for fifty years, and 
found it not till this happy day ! " So he 
embraced Jesus as his Savior, and from that 
time till his death, ceased not to preach that 
gospel which was indeed to him such good 
tidings of great joy. 

The heathen in their worship are very 
devoted, if they are in trouble or in great 
need. During the famine in and around 
Cumbum, in 1891, the people were daily 
around the temples, and carrying their chief 
idols in triumphal processions up and down 
the streets. The Christians told us an 
amusing story which will illustrate the extreme 
of heathen folly. After several weeks of 
fruitless efforts to induce their gods to send 
rain on the parched earth, they became 
enraged and declared, if the gods would not 
be persuaded by kindness, they would compel 
them to grant their desires. So they took 
them out of the temples, and abusing their 
majesty most terribly, threw them down into 
a ditch, and pelted them most furiously with 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 73 

'ilods of dirt; saying to them, that may be 
next time they would pay more attention to 
their prayers and send rain and plenty in the 
land. 



CHAPTER VII. 
Degeneration, the Feuit of Idolatry. 

Looking over the moral condition of India, 
we are reminded of an old field which has 
been neglected for a great many years, and is 
now grown up with great wild weeds, briers 
and bushes, and having an occasional old burnt 
tree stretching forth its bare limbs into the 
sighing winds. Blossoms and fruit are all 
gone, and in their places stand the wild, rank 
growth of a depraved soil. 

What may have been the former condition 
of India, we cannot tell ; but there is abundant 
evidence of an ancient civilization much higher 
than anything now found among the Hindus. 
In many parts of India are now to be found 
massive ruins of old temples, and pieces of 
statuary, rivaling in taste and beauty of 
sculpture anything produced in modern times. 
There are, in Hanamakonda, the ruins of a 
once magnificent temple, having originally a 
thousand pillars. The most of it is of black 



76 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

marble, and the excellence of art thereon 
displayed is truly wonderful. In other places 
in India there are beautiful palatial temples, 
all cut out of the solid rock of the mountain side. 
These things all speak silently, but distinctly, 
of a lost art, of a civilization somewhere 
buried in the decline of the past. Despite the 
evolutionist theorv, the masses of the human 
race have gone down rather than up, and in 
place of a constant development, degeneration 
and decline mark every page of human histor}^ 
Only a small portion of the race has escaped 
this dark and downward current, and has only 
by the light of the Bible risen to the eminence 
of which we boast. From the Jewish race, 
and their scriptures, a small, but constant 
stream of light has shown along down the 
ante-christian ages. Then, the great light, 
which blazed out over Syria, lit up, for a 
while, nearly every nation of the Levant, and 
all the East felt it. But men, because their 
deeds were evil, loved darkness rather than 
light, and so closed their eyes to its radiant 
beams, until it almost ceased to shine in their 
borders. Then all along through the dark 
ages, like stars through the midnight clouds. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 77 

burst out only occasional flashes of pure 
light. Densest darkness brooded over the 
entire earth ; and in that darkness, though 
somewhat broken, still grope the most of 
mankind. Man, in his wickedness, forgot 
God, who alone could hold him up. He 
neglected to live by the principles of righteous- 
ness, but was led off by his own lusts. They 
led him, as they will lead any one, to moral 
death. Depraved mankind is floating in an 
ocean of sin, and if he doesn't want to sink, 
he had better not let loose of God ; for he 
alone can hold him up and save him. But 
the early families of the race did let loose of 
Him, and forgot Him. Then, in the ocean of 
sin, they gave way to human passion ; because, 
first intoxicated, they then reveled in sin, and 
last of all, went down in the vortex of moral 
ruin. It is a sad picture. O, why will men 
forget their God, their only possible life and 
support ? 

It is a principle in moral science, which we 
should all, and always remember, that for 
immortal man, the first step downward is to 
forget God. Then follows sin upon sin; sin 
degrades the moral nature, and leads to further 



78 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

and greater sins. The man then goes on like 
a railway car turned loose upon a great down 
grade, onward the soul sweeps, rushing to 
destruction, until it lands, at last, in hell, the 
only terminus of that moral down-grade. 
Think of it; at every alternate tick of the 
clock, some immortal soul is landed into that 
dreadful terminus ! Two hundred and fifty 
millions in India, two hundred millions in 
Africa, three hundred and fifty millions in 
China, are steadily moving on, tramp, tramp, 
tramp, along their death march, to the regions 
of the lost. They had forgotten God ; the 
devil did not forget them, and they are 
brought low. The moral nature becoming so 
degraded, the mental, also, as a natural result, 
must follow in the same decline. Hard upon 
moral and mental degradation follows, by 
natural law, the degeneration of the physical 
man. All this is but natural, and verified 
too often, in our own country, as well as 
among heathen tribes. In heathen lands, 
how solemn and sad the spectacle ! Millions of 
our fellow beings, so awfully abased in soul, 
mind and body. Their religion, led on by 
innate depravity, has done it all. A man's 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 79 

religion makes him what he is. The religion 
of a nation, or people, determines the character 
of that people or nation. Mankind is now 
divided into three classes, viz. : those who 
have a good religion ; second, those who have 
a bad religion, and, third, those who have no 
religion at all. The only true and good 
religion is that which comes from a perfect 
God, the fountain head of all truth, wisdom 
and righteousness ; and so, by this religion, 
men are continually lifted up, enriched with 
the truth, endowed with wisdom, and filled 
with righteousness. All bad religions are 
traps set for the destruction of man, and, 
being from the devil, the fountain head of all 
lies, vice and moral darkness; those, who 
cling to such a religion, never come to the 
truth, are filled with vice and shame, and in 
ignorance and moral darkness, are bound to 
destruction by the chain which they have 
forged, sunken down in the pit which they 
made. 

Of all monstrosities in the human family, 
the man who denies all religion is certainly 
the most extravagant. He worships no God 
but himself, and finds, in all the religions of 



80 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

the world, no wisdom like his own. With no 
hope to offer his fellow man who naturally 
looks to a God to control his future, he lives 
in and for himself, and dies, at last, like the 
man who was drowned trjdng to walk the Red 
Sea in cork boots. He lost his equilibrium, 
his head went under, and nothing could be 
seen but his inverted boots. Poor man that 
will set himself up against nature and against 
God ! O, that all mankind knew and loved 
the God who can save them. Eight hundred 
millions of our race, so poisoned by that 
spiritual malaria, so sick with sin, subversive 
malady, dropping one by one into graves of 
despair! Fathers taking their sons by the 
hand and leaping in the darkness to awful 
ruin; mothers, clinging to their offspring, 
go down with them to a common fate. 

O, how it moves the Christian heart 

To see his fellow man go down 

In dark despair to take his part 

With those beneath God's righteous frown. 

We weep, and cannot reach them now, 
But, O , the hope lights up the soul, 
I'll go and teach the children how 
To gain the Christian's blessed goal. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 81 

And coming generations may, 
In Christian love and gratitude, 
Eise up to bless the happy day, 
They learned that sweet beatitude. 

All the vicious and intemperate habits of 
the Hindus are largely due to the teachings 
of their religion. The nonprogressive spirit 
of the people of India is but the inculcation 
of ancient Vedism. The Vedas taught that 
in the beginning the gods created and placed 
before man everything he needed, and that 
to attempt improvement of any kind would 
be an insult to deity. Accordingly all in- 
ventions and improvements are shut off from 
the race, and, today, the farmers, the 
mechanics, the tradesmen, walk in the same 
footprints their forefathers made four thous- 
and years ago. In all moral questions, 
however, as it is impossible for a people to 
remain on the same level, they have gone 
down. Among the worst fruits of an 
idolatrous religion may be mentioned 

The Universal Degradation of Woman. 
It is so in all heathen lands. Wherever the 
Bible is not known the dignity and rights of 
woman are not respected. Christianity and 



82 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

an elevated womanhood go hand in hand. 
He that was born of the sweet virgin was the 
first to lift womanhood from the thraldom of 
slavery. Wherever, among the families of 
the earth, His religion sways the moral 
powers, softens and purifies the affections, 
men acknowledge and respect the worth of a 
true woman. 

In India, it is a sad misfortune to be a 
woman. We have already mentioned the 
disconsolate state of widowhood. The birth 
of a girl baby is a bad omen, a token of evil, 
and everybody goes about with a gloomy 
countenance. The poor mother weeps over 
her misfortune and patiently bears the abuse 
of her husband. 

Some better idea may be obtained from an 
incident in the experience of one of our lady 
missionaries. She, being a doctor, was 
called to see a native woman who was thought 
to be dying. After giving the necessary 
attention to the woman, she asked where her 
baby was. A dirty, impudent little man, 
sitting lazily on the floor in the corner of the 
room, pointed outside. She went out, and 
under a buffalo shed, on the bare ground, lay 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 83 

a poor little infant starving to death ; so near 
gone it was unable to make a noise. The 
missionary was filled with pity and indigna- 
tion. She returned into the house and asked 
what was meant by such conduct ; whereupon 
the cool reply: "O, never mind that; it's 
only a girl." If a boy baby is born the 
mother rejoices, the husband honors and 
compliments her, and all the relatives hold a 
jubilee. Thanks and propitiatory offerings 
are made to the patron god, and all the people 
look forward to good times. 

The women of the higher classes after 
they go to their husbands' houses, are kept 
confined within zenana walls for the rest of 
their days. The zenana is much like a 
convent, being inclosed in high walls. It 
usually has a number of separate buildings. 
Some of the rooms are for the men and some 
for the women. If, for any cause, they are 
compelled to go outside of these walls, they 
must go under cover and must neither see or 
be seen. In the zenanas no man but the 
husband, father or brother is ever admitted 
to the presence of the women. The origin 
of this ridiculous practice of keeping the 



84 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

women imprisoned, dates back, perhaps, to 
the time when war and rapine Avas the rule 
and no man's life or proj)erty was safe. 
In such times the rulers were accustomed 
to seize any woman to whom they happened 
to take a fancy and without any regard, 
carry her away from her husband. Conse- 
quently all beautiful women were guarded 
with the most jealous care ; and so they are 
.today, as the people never consider it worth 
their while to change their customs to suit 
the times in which they live. 

The women must do all the menial work ; 
they must gather the buffalo chips for cook- 
ing, must prepare the food and serve while 
the men and boys eat. It is the custom 
among all classes for the men and boys to be 
seated all on the floor. They have no chairs, 
tables, dishes, knives or forks. Each has an 
earthen bowl or dish before him ; the woman 
brings out the pot of rice and with her hand 
serves them all around. Then she either 
retires from the room, or fans her husband 
while he eats. They all dip into the rice 
with their hands, cram their mouths as full 
as possible, let the rest fall back into the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 85 

bowl and then bring up another handful. 
After the men and boys are well filled the 
women and girls may take what is left. 

The women of the lower classes have this, 
advantage over tlie high caste women, that 
they work for wages and so have liberty to 
go wherever they please. How much the 
women of India need the tender hand of the 
divine Son of Mary to lift them out of slavery 
and disgrace. 

It is the special work of many of our 
lady missionaries to visit the women confined 
in these zenana prisons and there preach to 
them the Gospel ; for ladies only may ever 
see them, and but for such work, these 
women could never see a Gospel witness nor 
ever hear the words of life. Hearing, some 
of them believe. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
Persecution: Mohammedanism. 

Persecution in India is not what it once 
was, and now is in other heathen lands. 

The country being under British rule, 
missionaries are well protected from violence, 
and their rights are respected by all the 
natives. In fact there is, perhaps, no 
heathen country in any other part of the 
world where the missionary is so well 
protected as in India. The natives must 
respect the European officer and the masses 
know no difference between white people, 
missionaries, or officers. Often the poor, 
when they want a favor, come to the mis- 
sionary and almost worship him. It is a 
common thing when a British officer passes 
through the streets of a village to see great 
numbers of natives prostrating themselves 
before him. They are a helpless people and 
so depend like children upon their superiors 
for a support. They are all well educated in 



88 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

the art of flattery. They have learned this 
art from the old courts of autocrats. They 
were accustomed to grant favors to their 
vassal subjects for pleasing flattery. The 
poor when seeking favors were in the habit 
of coming into the presence of the rulers and 
in great swelling words reciting their beauty, 
greatness and glory; when the conceited 
autocrat, pleased with himself, would grant 
the request of his worshipper. 

This system of flattery is soon introduced 
to the missionary on his arrival in India. In 
his presence, they are astonished at his mag- 
nificent appearance, his profound learning, 
and his wonderful devotion and self-sacrifice. 
But among his own people that Hindu has 
not enough bad words with which to abuse 
the missionary. Notwithstanding all his 
flattery and persistent show of friendship, 
the Hindu is to be watched. Feigning the 
greatest love, several attempts have been 
made on the lives of missionaries. Murder 
is not a common thing among Hindus, but 
the method generally adopted is by poison- 
ing. Once a great number of people 
brouo^ht some fine mano^o fruit to a mis- 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 89 

sionary. It was delivered with a great 
pompous speech, setting forth the common 
brotherhood between the Hindu and the 
American. Though the mangoes were 
received with thanks, they were carefully 
set away till next morning, when on exami- 
nation the largest and most inviting one was 
found to be saturated with poison and 
perfectly black. 

The Hindus are persistent in their efforts 
to oppose Christianity. They have, in 
Madras and other large cities, organized 
societies for the production and distribution 
of Hindu anti-Christian literature. They 
resort to various methods. If they find any 
one studying Christianity they begin im- 
mediately to prejudice them, and to remove 
all impressions that may have been made by 
the Gospel. 

They follow up the missionary with their 
pernicious system of ridicule. They revive 
and preach their own religion when they 
see it about to die in the heart of a subject. 
Once, when we went on a tour, a high caste 
man ^was very favorably disposed toward 
Christianity and said if his wife would follow 



90 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

him he would become a Christian. The 
next morning all her relatives gathered 
around, bringing their cocoanut milk and 
rice and proposed a visit to the cobra snake 
hole. They worship these snakes very 
devotedly. They took this man's wife, he 
being too intelligent to take any part in such 
foolish worship, and away they went on their 
pilgrimage to the snake hole. They thus led 
her off and away from the probability of 
hearing the Gospel and hoped we might be 
gone ere they returned. They pour the 
milk and rice into the hole, hoping that the 
snake will receive it and be so much pleased 
thereby that it may never be disposed to 
bite them or any of their relatives. 

When the missionary preaches, the old 
priest will come and stand around, watching 
to see what effect the Gospel is having on 
his people. If he sees any impression is 
made he seeks to counteract it. The priest 
endeavors to frighten the poor people, mak- 
ing them believe if they forsake their an- 
cestral religion, all the gods and goddesses 
of their forefathers will turn loose their 
fury upon them. They seek to weaken the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 91 

faith of the Christians and intimidate them 
by threatening them with the curse of the 
gods. If they have any misfortune, the 
heathen declare it is because the gods are 
angry with them. If they have more bless- 
ings than the heathen — and they usually 
have — they take the curious alternative of 
saying the Christians have deceived the 
gods. The Brahmin watches, with jealous 
care, every movement of the missionary. 

But the greatest hindrance to the progress 
of Christianity is that great citadel of 
heathenism — caste. Men are bound by it; 
they are imprisoned and safely guarded by it. 
We have already mentioned how difficult it 
is for one to break the environments of caste 
and ever again enjoy the company of his 
family. 

All these things work against the progress 
of the Gospel among the Hindus; but the 
most virulent opposition is by 

The Moliammedans . — They comprise about 
one-sixth of the population of India. The 
country was once conquered and ruled, for a 
long time, by the Mohammedans. They, as 
well as the Jews, are a peculiar people. The 



92 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

pure blooded Mohammedans are descended 
directly from Ishmael; and there is an 
interesting relation between the descendants 
of those half brothers, Isaac and Ishmael. 
Both, in their places, fulfilled the great pur- 
poses of God; for he promised Hagar, to 
make of her son a great nation, and covenanted 
with Abraham that Isaac should stand at the 
head of a host who should number as the 
stars of heaven or the sands of the sea shore. 
Both promises are being fulfilled. Yet the 
jealousy which sprang up between Hagar and 
Sarah, more than thirty-seven centuries ago, 
still burns between the children of their sons. 
God said to Abraham that the children of his 
son Isaac should possess the gates of their 
enemies. Who are, to them, greater enemies 
to-day than their Saracen cousins? This 
prophecy, at least, suggests the probable 
destiny of that warlike and blood-thirsty race. 
They are to-day the most unscrupulous, un- 
compromising enemies of the seed of Isaac, 
and of all those who have been blessed in his 
seed according to the promise. The Moham- 
medans have their origin, as such, from 
Mohammed, a man of unusual talent and 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 93 

boldness. He rose to eminence in the early 
part of the Seventh Century. He was born in 
Mecca, Arabia; but when he pressed his 
claims as a prophet upon the people of his 
own town they drove him out as an impostor. 
He fled from Mecca to Medina, where he 
remained till he obtained a sufficient following 
to take up the sword against his enemies. 
He then, professing to have had in a vision 
such orders from heaven, called his faithful 
together, told them that God Almighty had 
ordered them to conquer the world to his 
teaching, and for their own zeal to reap the 
spoil of the conquest. They must spare none, 
but compel all to acknowledge God, and 
Mohammed as his chief prophet. The pro- 
position was favorable to human pride and 
ambition, and with Mohammed in the lead 
they set out for Mecca. Entering the town 
of his birth, he compelled every inhabitant, 
at the point of the sword, to acknowledge him 
as God's prophet. Then, to strengthen his 
force, he offered all men who would join his 
army and fight for him, pardon, protection of 
life and property, and to share also in the 
spoils of battle. It was an easy matter among 



94 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

such people to soon have an immense army at 
his back. He then proceeded to subdue all 
Arabia, and was planning for the conquest of 
the whole world, when his victorious career 
was suddenly cut short by death. But his 
followers grasped the opportunity and took up 
the sword he had laid down. They proceeded 
in every direction, laying everything at their 
feet, till the north, east, west and south bowed 
beneath the crescent. Sweeping around the 
northern coast of Africa, they crossed the 
Straits of Gibraltar and proceeded over the 
Pyrenees into Europe; but here, in the battle 
of Tours, they were, for the first time, de- 
feated and driven back. 

Thinking over what might have been, we 
have to thank the God of the nations for their 
defeat in that battle ; for, had the Saracen 
conquerors been permitted to advance into 
Europe, we all might to-day have been 
Mohammedans, and, instead of the glorious 
stars and stripes, lit up by the splendor of a 
free and Christian land, over our capitol might 
wave the flag of a foreign despot. 

The sword was everywhere the effectual 
means of conversion. Wherever they com- 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 95 

pelled the people to accept the Koran, it was 
taught to their children, and they believed it, 
and so, in one or two generations, millions of 
people were firm believers in Mohammed. 
That same warlike spirit and murderous 
character which, in their conquest, was every- 
where exhibited, is still the characteristic of 
every Mohammedan, and had they the power, 
the life of a Christian would be nothing in 
their hands. Their deadly hatred toward 
Christians may be seen in the following. They 
have a custom that if a Mohammedan acci- 
dently kills one of his own people, he may 
atone for the sin, both for time and eternity, 
by killing four Christians. The Moham- 
medans are especially bitter against one of 
their own number who becomes a Christian. 
Consequently there are, in India, but very few 
converts from among the Mohammedans. 
It seems not to be God's time for their re- 
demption. The door to that peculiar people 
is still closed; when, if ever, it may be 
opened, the God of the nations only knows. 
In India, one of the principal centers of 
Mohammedanism is Hyderabad, the capital of 
the Nizam's dominions. The Nizam is a 



96 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

Mohammedan tributary ruler. He governs 
his own country and people, insofar as he 
doesn't do anything to conflict with British 
laws as applied to native states. He is 
compelled to support, in the midst of his 
territory, a standing army of British soldiers. 
This army serves the double purpose of pro- 
tecting the Nizam from his enemies, and of 
making him and his people behave themselves. 
Every year this army has a grand parade, and 
his highness, the Nizam, has to come out and 
make his bow to the British flag. The city 
of Hyderabad, in which the Nizam lives, lies 
four square, and is inclosed by a great wall 
with four entrance gates. The city, inside, is 
divided into regular geometrical squares. The 
inhabitants, who always live within the walls, 
are said to be Arabs of the most savage and 
blood-thirsty character. Several years ago it 
was quite unsafe for any but Mohammedans 
to enter the city, and but few will enter it 
now without great precaution. These Arabs 
are always armed with knives and swords and, 
if they choose, may run up and thrust a knife 
or sword through a victim and retreat into the 
buildings in any direction, where they are all 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 97 

agreed, and he is received with honor if he 
has killed a Christian, and there he is beyond 
the reach of justice. The whole city, two 
hundred thousand or more, must be implicated 
to get one man. Europeans, if they enter 
the city now, usually have a guard with them, 
or drive through in closed carriages. It is not 
considered safe to stop in the streets though, 
as British influence is more and more felt 
among them, the danger of entering the city 
is less. The Nizam is a profligate; though 
they claim a Mohammedan must not touch 
intoxicating drinks. He is said to be almost 
always drunk. He has about one hundred 
and fifty wives. As he is seldom fit for 
business, his prime minister is really the ruler. 
He is very fond of tiger hunting"; and goes 
out every year to his tiger reservation, in 
which no one else is allowed to hunt, and 
shoots tigers. As the Hindus never kill any- 
thing, and but few Mohammedans have 
sufficent guns for tigers, they have multipl^d 
to great numbers. But tiger hunting is very 
dangerous and his highness is not disposed 
to take any risk. So he has a very high scaf- 
fold prepared near a path leading out of a 



98 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

jungle to some watering place. He comes in 
on his elephant, takes a comfortable seat on 
this scaffold and then sends in a great com- 
pany of his poor subjects, with drums and 
tom-toms, to frighten out the tigers. Hearing 
the terrible din all around him, the tiger 
leaves his den and makes for the watering 
place. While he thus passes the Nizam has 
nothincr to do but shoot him. Some hunt 
tigers on elephants; but that is not always 
safe. Others, lovers of danger, go on foot 
anions: them and risk their lives on the 
certainty of their shot. In our own station 
are the graves of two British officers who lost 
their lives in such daring attempts. In meet- 
ing and shooting at a tiger it is almost 
inevitable death to the hunter if his aim is not 
certain and his shot deadly. We have been 
told by old hunters that men have been torn 
to pieces, even after their shot had penetrated 
the heart of the tiger, so fierce and rapid are 
they in their actions. The safest shot is to 
break their neck, when, of course, they are 
helpless. We never had any ambition for 
tiger hunting. 

Is it not a pity that any religion will not 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 99 

only refuse to destroy such beasts but teach 
the people to worship them? Yet such is 
the faith of the Hindus. 

The Mohammedans seeing the progress of 
the Christian cause, have organized against 
it. In Hyderabad city, among the nobles of the 
court, where money is no object and hatred 
toward the Bible is the rule, there is a society 
for the propagation of Islam and the oppo- 
sition of missionary effort. They employ 
their preachers, as we do, and send them 
out to every station where there is a 
Christian missionary. Like hounds they 
follow after us day by day. If we go out to 
a distant village, the next day, or close on our 
tracks, comes the Mohammedan preacher 
seeking to counteract all we may have done. 
He does but little preaching of his own 
religion; but ceases not with all the vile 
epithets at his command to abuse and belie 
the missionary, ridicule the Bible and blas- 
pheme the name of Christ. Daily he walks 
the streets, gathers the people around him 
and pours out among them his vile calumny. 
The Mohammedans everywhere seek to preju- 
dice the minds of the people against the 



100 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

missionary. If they can't do it by ridicule 
and falsehood, they threaten the people. In 
the Nizam's dominions nearly all the govern- 
ment officers are Mohammedans, and the 
life and property of the poor are in their 
hands. If they see in the people any dis- 
position to consider the claims of the Gospel, 
they threaten to cut off their support, to 
beat them and to take away their property. 
Thus intimidated, the poor people are afraid 
to be seen near a missionary or native 
preacher. 

Once during a great annual feast in Hana- 
makonda, nine or ten men and women from 
a village thirty miles away, had come on a 
pilgrimage to the temple. While on the 
streets they for the first time heard the 
Mohammedans abusing the missionary and 
his religion. It was all a new thing to these 
simple but earnest people, and they expressed 
a desire to see that ''foreign deceiver," as 
he was called, and hear what that religion 
was which brought down upon itself so much 
abuse. 

The Mohammedans told them that if they 
entered the mission yard they would beat 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 101 

them all so that they could not get home. 
But their curiosity was all the more aroused, 
and they determined to see the missionary at 
all hazards, but said no more about it. The 
next morning our bell rang for service, and 
they came and took their seats in the yard 
just in front of the chapel door. They were 
afraid to go in, but they must hear what was 
said by the preacher. After our service was 
closed and most of the people gone, we went 
out to them. They were loath to leave; 
they wanted to hear more about that wonder- 
ful Savior. Then for more than an hour, 
we preached Christ to them and, as we closed 
our talk, more than half of them rose up and 
said, "We know that what you say must be 
true, and we believe it. It is so wonderful." 
So the work of the devil was turned to the 
glory of God. On another occasion the 
Mohammedan preacher was in a little village 
near Hanamakonda, profaning the Bible and 
the name of Christ. A great many of the 
people, when he left, determined to hear 
more about Christ. They had been preached 
to a number of times, but were now excited 
to greater interest. 



102 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

Sunday came and our deep-toned bell 
invited all to come to the house of God. 
Twelve of the leading men came. They 
walked in and took their seats on the chapel 
floor, as is the custom. We appointed one 
of our native evangelists, who happened to be 
present that morning, to sit down with them 
and instruct them in the Bible, while we 
went on with the Sunday-school lesson. The 
spirit of God seemed to be present in unusual 
power. We all felt the solemnity of the 
hour. The time came on for the sermon and 
we turned it to a prayer meeting. We be- 
sought God to save those twelve men ; they 
were convicted and fell on their faces in 
prayer. Soon they began to rise up and 
confess Christ until the last of the twelve 
shouted, " O, yes, I know Jesus will save us 
all; praise his name." That day His name 
was honored in Hanamakonda. The twelve 
were received immediately into the church, 
and at the close of the service we led nine of 
them into the liquid grave, and before all 
that heathen throng they were buried with 
Christ in baptism, and rose again to walk in 
newness of life. Truly was it that day ful- 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 103 

filled, ^*He that sitteth in the heavens 
shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in 
derision." For the heathen lookers-on were 
that day ashamed and without an answer. 

In His name why not all Christians accept 
the promise: ''Ask of me and I will give thee 
the heathen for thine inheritance and the 
uttermost parts of the earth for thy posses- 
sion," and so shall it be. The devil may 
rage, the kings of the earth may set them- 
selves together, and the rulers take counsel 
against the Anointed; but to its uttermost 
parts, the world shall be full of his knowledge 
and glory as the waters cover the sea. 



CHAPTEE IX. 
The Telugu Mission: Its Beginning 

AND Struggles. 
After seeing so much of the people, their 
life and condition, the reader will be anxious 
to know what has been done for their relief. 
During the last century there has been such 
an awakening among Christian people of every 
nation; money has been consecrated; mis- 
sionaries have been sent out to evangelize the 
world, and the voice of God has sounded in 
the heart of every continent. How have the 
milhons of India shared in the blessing? 
The story of missions in India is absorbingly 
interesting and, in the eyes of all the 
world, truly wonderful. I need not here 
recount the lives and work of Jlidson, Carey 
and others ; it is all familiar to those much 
interested in missions. But the influence of 
their devoted lives is felt in every department 
of the work. Their labors have contributed 
to the success of all missionary enterprise 
since their day. The pathetic story of self- 



106 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

sacrifice, of persecutions, imprisonment, of 
suffering under the tropical sun, of bleeding 
feet over the burning sands and rocks, deeply 
thrills the soul of every missionary, urging 
him to do and dare for the master. A visit to 
Serampore brings up the labors of those men 
of God, who, through the press, opened up to 
so many millions the Gospel. The missionary 
looks out upon the bay of Bengal, remembers 
what Judson did and endured for Jesus, think 
how, in the absence of his loved ones, he was 
buried at last in those deep waters ; and there 
seems to come a spirit and a whisper up from 
the sea saying, **Be ye faithful unto death." 
The graves of others, where the leopard and 
the tiger leap, and the winds sigh in the lone 
palms, all speak to the living and urge them 
on to nobler deeds. Since the days of Carey 
and Judson, heroic spirits have not been 
wanting. Hundreds of men and women now 
on the field are ready, when it becomes 
necessary, to suffer even unto death for 
Christ's sake. Through their labors, since 
the days of these first noble heroes, many 
thousands have been led to Christ. Others 
have taken up the work which they laid down 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 107 

and carried it on to sublimer results than their 
brightest hope ever pictured. 

Much has been done in the north of India 
by the English Baptists, Methodists and 
others ; but the work of the American Bap- 
tist Missionary Union among the Telugus has 
been the greatest, and shall occupy our chief 
attention. The mission to the Teluofus was 
begun in 1836, when Eev. Samuel S. Day 
arrived among them. He labored in Yizaga- 
patam, Chicacole and Madras; but early in 
1840 he went to Nellore and there founded 
the first mission station. Owing to the scarcity 
of Telugu books, the language was difficult 
of acquisition, and various other serious diffi- 
culties confronted him in his pioneer work. 
Touring throughout the country and preaching 
the Gospel to all classes, he labored for nearly 
two years, when he had the privilege of bap- 
tising the first Telugu convert. Dr. Downie, 
in his history of the Telugu mission, gives an 
account of this interesting occasion. "Towards 
sunset on the 27th day of September, 1841, 
a little company might have been seen wending 
its way towards the Pennar river. Right 
under the shadow of the great Nellore temple, 



108 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

on the river bank, they sang a hymn; the 
missionary read a few passages of Scripture 
and explained the nature of the ordinance 
about to be celebrated. By this time a large 
crowd of natives had assembled and Mr. Day 
embraced the opportunity to preach to them 
of Jesus and the great salvation. A brief 
prayer was then offered and Venkappah, the 
first Telugu convert, was led down into the 
water and baptized into the name of the 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It was a 
strange sight to the wondering multitude, 
but a happy experience to Venkappah, and 
probably one of the most blessed privileges of 
Mr. Day's life." This was the first of many 
thousands who were to follow, but before the 
brightness of the day could come, a miniature 
dark age must intervene. Soon his only 
associate missionary broke down in health and 
had to leave the country. The cholera broke 
out and began sweeping the people into 
eternity. Soon his own health failed and he, 
too, was compelled to leave for his native 
land. He left with a very sad heart. What 
would become of the work he had begun, only 
begun? O, the dark hours! He wrote on 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 109 

leaving: ''The thought of visiting one's own 
native country gives little satisfaction." As 
he left those dark shores and needy people, 
his heart lingered with them. But, ere long, 
he was permitted to return, and with him 
came to the Telugus, Dr. Lyman Jewett, one 
of the most devoted men of God who ever 
carried the Gospel across the seas. He and 
his faithful wife went earnestly into the work, 
soon acquired the language and traveled 
among the villages. But few converts were 
gathered, however, as the months and years 
went by. Great faith in God was eminently 
needed ; for then in all their labors they must 
indeed walk by faith and not by sight. 
Thirteen years had passed since the mission 
was established, and only a little handful of 
converts were to show for all their labor and 
expenditure. 



CHAPTER X. 

The Break of Day: Triumph 
OF THE Gospel. 

At a meeting of the Board held in Albany, 
New York, in 1853, it was proposed to aban- 
don the Telugu mission altogether. A warm 
discussion followed, during which one of the 
speakers pointed to a missionary map which 
hung on the wall behind him and said: 
' 'Behold the lone star ! " In all that dark land 
there was but one spot from which a single 
ray of Gospel light could eminate. Dr. Smith 
was so impressed with the words «*lone star" 
that ere he slept that night he wrote the fol- 
lowing beautiful and truly prophetic lines : 

Shine on, "Lone Star," thy radiance bright 
Shall spread o'er all the eastern sky ; 
Morn breaks apace from gloom and night ; 
Shine on and bless the pilgrim's eye. 

Shine on, "Lone Star," I would not dim 
The light that burns with dubious ray ; 
The lonely star of Bethlehem, 
Led on a bright and glorious day. 



112 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

Shine on, "Lone Star," in grief and tears, 
And sad reverses oft baptized. 
Shine on amid thy sister spheres ; 
Lone stars in heaven are not despised. 

Shine on, "Lone Star," the day draws near. 
When none shall shine more fair than thou ; 
Thou, born and nursed in doubt and fear, 
Wilt glitter on Immanuel's brow. 

Shine on, "Lone Star," till earth redeemed, 
In dust shall bid its idols fall ; 
And thousands where thy radiance beamed 
Shall "crown the Savior, Lord of all." 

This poem was read next morning at the 
Board meeting. The effect was extraordi- 
nary; hearts were moved and tears flowed 
freely. The discussion was discontinued and 
it was decided, not only to continue the mis- 
sion to the Telegus, but to reinforce it. 
Almost the same day those discussions were 
going on in Albany, New York, the work in 
India took on new life. The little church in 
Nellore was reorganized, and a number more 
were baptized. Now, this was the gray of 
the dawn. Better times must follow. Dr. 
and Mrs. Jewett toured extensively among 
the distant villages and preached the Word. 
Other missionaries were sent out from home, 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 113 

and now the mission to the Telugus was no 
longer a doubtful experience. But the field 
was so large for the laborers, they were 
greatly burdened and ceased not to pray to 
God and petition the people at home for 
stronger reinforcements. They were sent out 
as fast as the committee could command the 
men and means. The people heard the 
Gospel a little more willingly, and the fruit 
began to ripen. The Nellore church grew to 
considerable strength ; but the work must be 
extended into other districts, and as Dr. and 
Mrs. Jewett make a tour into the North, let 
us spend a little time with them in Ongole. 
It was about four o'clock New Year's morn- 
ing, 1854, that Dr. and Mrs. Jewett, with a 
little company of native Christians might 
have been seen passing out of their tents and 
wending their way toward the mountain 
overlooking Ongole. At the base of this 
hill on the eastern side, lies the crescent 
shaped town of Ongole, with its ten thousand 
people. Standing on the summit of this hill 
in the morning light the scene is truly 
sublime. The country is a broad, level plain, 
spread out before the eye, like a wondrous 



114 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

panorama. Turning around, the eye may 
behold no less than four hundred villages, 
which, with their groves of margosa trees, 
dot the broad expanse in every direction. 
Ten miles to the east lies the bay of Bengal, 
forming a blue border along the horizon. 
Sixty miles to the west, rise up the dim 
heads of a mountain range ; thirty miles to 
the south stretches out the silverlike belt of 
the Buckingham canal; while forty miles 
away under the Northern sky, the blue 
mountains tower like pillars of cloud. Within 
this compass live no less than a million of 
souls, bound for eternity. The sight is 
enough to impress the non-emotional. In the 
early light this little company. Dr. and Mrs. 
Jewett and the native Christians, Julia, 
Ruth and Christian Nursu, the only Gospel 
witnesses in all that land, ascended the 
mountain. Reaching the summit they sat 
down and sang a hymn. Then they all knelt 
while Nursu prayed for his lost countrymen. 
Dr. Jewett then read from Isaiah: ''How 
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of 
him that bringeth good tidings." Mrs. 
Jewett then prayed, then Julia, then Ruth. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 115 

Last of all the faithful leader of this little 
band lifted up his voice and said: '* O, thou 
Creator and God of the nations, grant that 
as the sun is now about to rise, and shine 
upon the earth, so may the sun of Eighteous- 
ness rise quickly and shine upon this dark 
land." He prayed also for God to send a 
missionary to preach the Gospel to the 
perishing millions around him. Then, ris- 
ing, he stretched forth his hand and said, 
''Do you see that piece of rising ground 
yonder all covered over with prickly pears? 
Would you not like that spot for our mission 
bungalow, and all this land to become 
Christian? How would you like it? Well, 
Nursu, Julia, that day will come!" ''As 
our little prayer meeting closed," Julia said, 
"the sun rose, and it seemed as if the Holy 
Spirit had lifted us above the world, and our 
hearts were filled with thanksgiving to the 
Lord." 

We have only to look over that field to-day 
to see the answer to that prayer, and the 
fulfillment of that prediction. The mission 
bungalow stands on the very spot that he 
pointed out and, though the land has not yet 



116 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

become Christian, it is o^oino^ on towards it. 
There is now in Ono^ole the lars^est church in 
the world, it having over twenty thousand 
members. The work which has brouHit 
about such great results has been led on 
chiefly by Dr. J. E. Clough. He was the 
one sent out in answer to Dr. Jewett's prayer, 
though the answer seemed long delayed. He 
came to Ongole the 17th of September, 1866, 
and at once began the work which has done 
so much for the glory of Christ's name and 
the salvation of the heathen. We shall not 
find it consistent with the plan of this little 
book to follow in detail the wonderful works 
of God among the Telugus.* We only 
stand in awe and glance over the field and the 
great hosts of God there, like a proud soldier 
beholding the splendid regiments of his 
chieftain. The native workers rapidly in- 
creased in number. Who ever accepted 
Christ went to work in his own village to 
lead his people to the Savior.. So the Gospel 
went, as it were, on Avings; men heard and 

*If anyone desires a full and detailed account of the 
work and workers among the Telugus, he is referred to 
Mr. Downie's History of the Telugu Mission, published 
by the American Baptist Publication Society. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 117 

believed. New stations were established as 
rapidly as possible, but at length the interest 
seemed to center in Ongole and the power of 
the Gospel seemed to radiate from that center, 
not, as we believe, so much because Dr. 
Clough was in himself such an extraordinary 
man, though he is a man of no common 
ability, and was raised up for that field and 
work. Dr. Downie says of him, very 
properly we think: "If we were called upon 
to mention Dr. Clough' s special qualification 
to the particular work to which he has been 
called, we should say they were these : a 
capacity to command the situation and to 
marshal its resources ; a sound constitution 
and an indomitable spirit ; a strong love for 
the souls of men and for Christ ; a successful 
term of service in the Western States, and a 
strong faith both in God and in himself as 
God's appointed agent for the accomplish- 
ment of a great w^ork." Answered in" the 
life and work of Dr. Clough, we believe the 
prayers of the devoted Dr. Jewett were at the 
head of the great movement among the 
Telegus. After his return to America it was • 
said of him that for a great many nights his 



118 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

wife was unintentionally waked as he rose 
from bed near midnight and went into 
another room alone. At last she passed into 
the hall and watched him. She saw him 
walking the floor, his silvered beard on his 
breast and his arms folded, exclaiming in 
pathetic and trembling voice : *' Oh God, do 
save the Telugus ! ' ' Such prayers will be 
heard. 

In 1876 the great famine broke out in 
India and sore distress prevailed. Thousands 
starved to death. Disease smote the already 
famished land, and the people fell by 
thousands into dreadful graves. But, in it 
all, the people were convinced of the utter 
inability of their idols to afford them relief, 
and so were more disposed to listen to the 
Gospel. It was preached everywhere over 
the Ongole field, and during the famine, 
though many applied, none were received into 
the church for fear some might come from 
unworthy motives. But when the blessing of 
God began to restore plenty once more in the 
land, the doors of the church were opened. 
* Dr. Clouofh sent out word to all his native 
preachers to bring in those who desired to be 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 119 

baptized, and they would meet ten miles north 
of Ongole on the Gundalacumma river. When 
they began to pour in from all sides the 
magnitude of the ingathering was beginning 
to be manifest. The candidates were all ex- 
amined, and when everything was ready they 
appointed six o'clock next morning to begin 
baptizing. It was the third of July and the 
sun rose in all his brilliancy ; the people 
thronged the banks of the river, and two 
ordained native preachers took their places in 
the water. They began baptizing, and the 
people passed in a constant stream into the 
river by them, were baptized, and came up out 
of the water. When these two preachers 
were tired, two others took their places, and in 
turn were succeeded by others. At eleven 
o'clock they stop]3ed for the noon rest; 
resumed their work at two, and at five o'clock 
the last of two thousand two hundred and 
twenty-two was buried with Christ in baptism . 
Thus by only six men, two working at a time, 
the whole number were baptized in eight hours. 
Thus closed a day of sublime victory for 
Christ. But the battle ceased not, and the 
victory grew on in magnitude. More and 



120 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

more kept coming in until, before the last of 
the following December, they had baptized 
nine thousand six hundred and six. 

During the years that have followed, that 
great revival has never ceased; though, of 
course, not as brilliant as the above. The 
reports of this ingathering roused our people 
at home as never before. The glad news 
fairly shook this Christian land, and God's 
people were encouraged in their contributions to 
such a noble work and their prayers were daily 
offered. The next largest number baptized 
was that in which the writer had the privilege 
of assisting. It was shortly after our arrival 
in India, in 1890. A deep spiritual interest 
was everywhere manifest among the native 
workers and they seemed full of enthusiasm 
and hope. They gave glowing reports from 
all the out-stations how the people heard the 
Gospel gladly, and great numbers were believ- 
ing. Dr. Clough told them to bring in to the 
quarterly meeting all those who were asking 
baptism. Saturday evening, the 23d of Decem- 
ber, they began to pour into the mission com- 
pound. Many came on foot across the 
burning sands from fifty to seventy miles 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 121 

away. Early Sunday morning Dr. Clough 
rang the school bell and called the people all 
together around his veranda in the yard. 
Nearly four thousand people were seated on 
the ground under the beautiful margosa shade 
trees. Dr. Clough, in whom they all reposed 
so much confidence, then stood on the veranda 
and preached to them from the text: ''Come 
unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest." It was so appro- 
priate; and the people listened for an hour 
and ten minutes with the deepest interest. 
Then followed the examination of the candi- 
dates, lasting till a late hour. The examination 
was conducted by committees, including 
altogether about a hundred native preachers. 
One o'clock was appointed to begin baptizing, 
and at that hour an immense throng of 
Telugus, both heathen and Christian, gathered 
around the beautiful pool just east of the 
mission house. The tall margosa drooped its 
limbs down over the water, and around the 
garden occasional cocoanut trees lifted up 
their straight proud forms. It was a sublime 
hour. Two ordained preachers took their 
places in the pool, and after a song they 



122 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

proceeded in the glorious work. They 
baptized over a thousand; then Dr. Clough 
and the writer took their places and baptized 
over six-hundred, making in all, sixteen 
hundred and seventy-one ; and the exact time 
occupied in immersing the entire number was 
just four hours and twenty -five minutes. 

Thus closed another day long to be re- 
membered in the history of missions ; a day 
wherein the Lord Christ was honored and the 
heathen stood silent and amazed in the 
presence of the mighty works of God. 

It has often been asked me since our return 
to this country ; *'How do those people hold 
out?" My answer has always been, "As well 
as the people do hi this country." And that is 
saying a great deal for the Telugus ; for if 
they, with all their weakness, bad habits 
formed from their youth, lack of knowledge, 
no restraining society, but powerful tempta- 
tions all around them, if they can hold out as 
well as converts in this country, where they 
have had Christian training and have the 
protection of Christian society, do they not 
deserve orreater credit than Americans ? And 
is not their salvation a greater miracle of 



LIFE AMONO THE HINDUS. 123 

divine grace? All praise to the saving power 
that can reach down to the low and degraded 
and lift them up. Is it not a stronger proof 
of the divinity of the Christian religion to see 
it go down to a man all degraded to the depths 
of shame in the darkest ignorance and save 
his soul, lift him up to a righteous life, a good 
degree of intelligence and happiness, than to 
see that same religion save an intelligent, 
refined gentleman or lady in our own society? 
Yea, it speaks volumes for that religion which 
is adapted to the conditions and needs of all 
mankind. Christ's religion does save the 
Hindu, and the Chinese, and the African, and 
the American, all alike, and it saves them for 
time and eternity. It changes the very 
appearance of the Telugu. He is cleaner, 
more cheerful, more bright, and his life among 
the heathen is a living example and proof of 
the power of Christ to save. The heathen 
often give names to our Christians, such as 
if-prarthana cliasavwadu" — the praying man. 
In Hanamakonda, one of our men who is 
now an efficient preacher, was once a thief, 
robber and adulterer. He was known 
throughout the country for his wickedness. 



124 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

But some years ago he was converted. Now, 
when a missionary goes into his or any sur- 
rounding village and tells of the power of 
Christ to save, the heathen will readily 
answer: '*Yes, we know your religion does 
change a man; for we all knew Sundriah. 
He was a very wicked man, but since he has 
become a Christian we have never seen him 
do anything bad. He used to whip and 
abuse his family, but now he loves them and 
talks kindly to his wife." 



CHAPTER XI. 

Shadows Begin to Deepen: Sickness and 

Death. 

In November, 1891, we took charge of the 
Hanamakonda mission field. The church was 
small and the workers were very few. In 
fact, there were only three unordained native 
preachers. The station had been nearly two 
years without a resident missionary, and the 
work of the station was still a pioneer work. 
Though with only a limited command of the 
language we began. The work in and 
immediately around the station demanded our 
chief attention, so that but little touring 
among the native villages could be done that 
season. The study of the language was 
continued. The hot weather came on in 
February, and in March our baby Ola, being 
teething, was taken quite severely with 
bronchitis. We tried every means within our 
power to relieve him, but in vain. We then 
took him to Secunderabad city, eighty miles 
from our station, where we obtained the 
medical services of an English army surgeon. 



126 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

For one whole month we remained in the city, 
and the doctor attended faithfully to his 
charge, but our precious love grew no better, 
but rather worse. The heat was terrible, and 
the doctor at last said he could do no more 
for him and gave him up, saying the only 
hope of saving his life was to take him im- 
mediately to a cooler climate. Our hearts 
were sad ; but still hoping we started at once 
for Bangalore city, a summer resort which 
lies far up on the western Ghauts, or mountain 
range. Obtaining the services of a good 
physician, we kept the little sufferer there 
over two months. He seemed to improve. 
Hope revived; still his double teeth were 
giving him trouble. Finally the extreme 
heat broke on the plains. The June and July 
rains had come, and the air was much cooler. 
The work at the station was urgently 
demanding our presence and attention. The 
physician said we might, without increasing 
the danger, take our babe back to the station. 
I came on a few days ahead, leaving the 
faithful nurse to assist Mrs. Johnson to make 
the journey, and spent the time in cleansing 
and whitewashing our house. 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 127 

A sad experience awaited my return to the 
mission compound. The oldest child of one 
of my best native preachers was taken very 
ill with fever, which was at that time so 
prevalent among the natives. For two days 
and nights we waited on the dear little boy 
doing all that was possible to save him. But 
it was not the will of the Father. Late in 
the evening of July the 6th, while his father 
was gone to the hospital for medicine, the 
little spirit went home to heaven. The 
mother was on her knees in the yard crying 
very bitterly when her husband entered the 
gate. He knew what was the matter for he 
had been expecting it. The great tears rolled 
down his cheeks as he approached her. He 
took her by the hand and lifted her up and 
said in the sweetest Christian spirit, *' Let us 
not weep, it is God's will." Next morning 
the little body was quietly laid in the grave. 
As we all stood around, the Bible had been 
read, a hymn had been sung, and we were 
about ready to lower the body into its last 
resting place, an incident occurred which 
gave me a more exalted idea of the Telugu 
Christian character than anything I had 



128 LIFE AINIONG THE HINDUS. 

witnessed before or have ever seen since. A 
great company of heathen were standing 
around the little cemetery and a number of 
sympathizing Christian friends stood around 
the grave. Henry, the father of the departed, 
asked to speak. I told him to speak on. 
He then stepped forward with uplifted hands, 
weeping, and prayed to God most earnestly 
for divine comfort and strength. When he 
had prayed he began to speak, and proceeded 
in one of the most eloquent short addresses I 
ever heard fall from human lips. It was in 
words that I was most familiar with and I 
understood it all. It so well illustrates the 
native eloquence of that beautiful language 
and the sublime conception of the simple 
Christian heart, that I attempted a literal 
translation of the address. The following, 
though I am certain does not do it justice, is 
as near what he said as one could get from 
memory : 

"My brothers and sisters in our Lord 
Jesus Christ, weeping, we have come here 
this morning to lay into the grave all that can 
ever perish of the child of my love. We are 
ready to put into the grave this dear little 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 129 

body and say good-bye to it for a little while, 
But we know we shall meet again. O, that 
all my benighted countrymen only had this 
hope and joy. Great God of all the world, 
help us to preach this blessed word to the 
people. O, how glorious, our sweet Savior, 
that we have learned to know thee. Thou 
hast taken our child away from the sins and 
sorrows of this dark world. We would catch 
hold of thy golden feet and fall down forever 
before thee. He was mine, but God gave him, 
and now he has taken him from us. As I 
see that face now before me, cold and still, I 
do not see the face of my son. That is not 
my son now. My child has left that. form 
and has been for several hours up there. O, 
glorious world ! My child and my Savior are 
there this morning, and their silver wings 
sparkle in the shining light; O, I would that 
I could go now and be with them, but I must 
wait a little." Then coming nearer his child 
he kissed the cold features and said; «* Good- 
bye now, for a while ; but when Jesus calls, we 
will all go, and in that golden city, where 
death never comes, I will take you back to my 
arms, and Jesus shall wipe away our tears." 



130 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

That such joy and hope might be implanted 
in one Hindu breast, is itself worth all the 
money and labor it has ever cost to send the 
Gospel to the heathen. 

The death of this dear little one was a trial 
to all of us, but by it we were brought nearer 
the Lord and were incited to do more for 
him. 

Mrs. Johnson arrived with our little boy 
the very night the other lay a corpse in the 
compound. Though apparently better, he 
was much exhausted by the long journey. 
We began at once to make preparations for 
touring, as the season was almost at hand. 
Some camp tables, chairs and cots were to be 
made. I had a few tools; so got the wood, 
hired a native carpenter to assist me, and we 
went to work. I found it all but impossible 
to get any native even to hold, in a different 
way from what he was accustomed to do, a 
piece of wood while I sawed it. They have 
but one way of doing anything, and they 
never imagine it could be done any other way. 
They all do as they were taught by their 
parents before them. So I had to do the 
most of the work myself. Kungiah, one of 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 131 

my best preachers, was a great help to me. 
We were rapidly getting things together and 
planning for extensive Gospel touring. But 
the divine plan had marked our way along 
paths more rugged than we had ever traveled. 
Just one week after the night our watch was 
kept over the native brother's child, we were 
called upon to wade the river of sorrow 
through the silent darkness. Our day's work 
was done. Mrs. Johnson and I were sitting 
in the room talking about our precious little 
one. He had been quite cheerful all that day, 
and enjoyed playing with a little monkey we 
had bought for him. We talked of his long 
struggle, his near approach to death, and of 
his recovery. We talked of his future and 
what we might be able to do for him. We 
then bowed in our evening prayer. While 
we were in prayer the baby began crying, as 
his nurse was preparing his food in an 
adjoining room. When the prayer was 
finished his mother took him in her arms, and 
in three minutes his voice was hushed and the 
immortal spirit of our loved one was gone. 
He had died thus suddenly from heart failure. 
In the heat his body could not endure the 



132 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

ordeal of teething, and his strength gave way. 
What should we do? Secunderabad was 
eighty miles away and to bury our treasure in 
our own station, no hand but the natives 
could assist us in the last hour, and a plain 
box must answer for a coffin. So we deter- 
mined to go into the city. We were four 
miles from the railroad. In our tears we 
prepared for the trip. He died at half -past 
eight and the train passed the station at half- 
past eleven. I then took all that was mortal 
of our beloved, and in my arms carried him 
to the station, and all night long we watched 
by him as he lay on the seat in the car, until 
we arrived in the city next morning. The 
darkness of that night, in a lonely heathen 
land with none to comfort or sympathize, 
save the God who had afflicted us, none may 
ever know, save those who have passed 
through the same firey trial. May all our 
friends be ever saved from such a trial. With 
the help of friends we laid the little body to 
rest in the cemetery just west of that great 
city, Hyderabad. There, almost beneath the 
shadows of three score Mohammedan mosques, 
the body of our dear little Ola awaits the 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 133 

coming of the Savior and a glorious resur- 
rection. 

Mrs. Johnson was soon taken with fever, 
and our touring was still delayed. During all 
this time the work around Hanamakonda 
was carried on as vigorously as possible, and 
several were believing. Fifteen were baptized 
before we started on tour. By and by, all 
was ready and, with our native helpers, we 
started out on our Gospel tour. Our first 
trip was to a town thirty miles from our 
station. Here we remained only a short 
while and preached the Gospel; but success 
attended our efforts and we baptized five of 
the leading men, who boldly came out on the 
Lord's side. 

We then returned home and prepared for a 
more extensive work. Moncota, a very 
important part of our field, eighty miles away 
to the southeast, was hitherto unworked, and 
we resolved to go there. Tent, table, cot 
and camp chairs and all our dishes and cook- 
ing vessels gathered up, put in carts, our 
house and compound left in charge of one of 
the preachers who remained to care for the 
church in the station, we were off on our way 



134 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

to parts where, by many, the Gospel had 
never been heard. We arrived in Moncota on 
the seventh of September, and pitched our 
tent in a large mango grove. It was in the 
midst of the tiger reservation where the 
Nizam had for years been accustomed to 
pitch his tent on occasions of his annual 
'' chicari,'^ or hunt. From our tent we went 
out for several days and preached first in the 
town nearest by us. Then we began to go 
out to neighboring villages all around us, and 
so preached the word of God through all the 
country round about. Everywhere the 
people listened with respect and in some 
places with great curiosity. Sometimes fear 
would keep many away. In Moncota, our 
message was received with great earnestness, 
and after several days of preaching and 
prayer with them, seven of the leading men 
of the Madaga caste professed faith in Christ. 
The next morning they were received and 
baptized. 

One of them was a spotted leper. By 
covering our hands with carbolic soap, we 
baptized him without fear of contagion. The 
country is full of leprosy, and there seems 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 135 

to be no law to prohibit lepers from mixing 
in society with other people. Everyone takes 
his chances, but many believe that not half 
of the leprosy is contagious. In fact, lep- 
rous parents have been known to raise 
perfectly healthy children. There is one kind 
which is certainly contagious, however, that 
where the flesh is decayed, and we have often 
seen them with their fingers and toes entirely 
gone ; poor helpless beggars. It seemed that 
at the time those seven men were baptized 
almost the whole village would become 
Christians. The interest seemed so deep. 
But the devil was at work. The morning of 
the baptizing we induced the converts to have 
their long hair cut off. It was dirty, as usual, 
and their appearance would be greatly im- 
proved by its removal. Besides, the Hindus 
often wear a long tuft of hair called "juttu," 
on the back of their heads. It is believed by 
many to be a sign of heathen worship. This, 
as is required by the missionaries, must be 
removed on becoming Christians. The men 
willingly consented to have their hair trimmed 
nicely ; but when they returned to their village 
the Mohammedans started the alarm that the 



136 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

missionary had come as a secret agent to 
capture all the people, men and women, cut 
off their hair and ship it away as an article of 
merchandise. This report created a general 
panic among the women especially ; for they 
prize their hair very highly. It would be an 
awful disgrace for a Hindu woman to have 
her hair cut closely. The next morning early 
when we entered the village, not a dozen 
would come to meet us. We could see men, 
women and children, when we approached, 
skipping around the house corners and peep- 
ing back after us. As we came nearer they 
continued to retreat to other houses more 
remote and watched us from the corners. 
But soon those we had baptized came out with 
sorrowful faces, and told us the story of their 
trouble. We could then do but little more 
with the heathen there. The Mohammedans 
continued their falsehoods and threats until 
the poor people were afraid to see us. We 
induced them before we left, however, to send 
one of their leading men to our headquarters 
and find out all about us from the people 
where we lived. He returned with a favorable 
report which gave the lie to all the Moham- 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 137 

medans had told them, and henceforth the 
people were a little more friendly disposed; 
but could not, while we remained, get entirely 
over their fright. 

We very much enjoyed camp life at first ; 
but finally the jackals began every night to set 
up their yelling immediately around our tent, 
and our sleep was continually broken. Then 
came the monkeys by the hundred. They 
literally filled the trees all around us and 
chattered until often we could not have heard 
thunder. Then the rain began to pour down 
upon us. The time for the rains to cease had 
long since passed; uneltpectedly, however, 
they came. For four days and nights, almost 
incessantly, the rain poured down upon us. 
At last, when we were all in danger of dying 
in the damp tent, we pulled up in the rain 
and left for a station forty miles up the rail- 
road, where we could get on higher ground 
and find a house to shelter us. We had no 
more than reached this station when one after 
another of our native preachers began falling 
sick with the malarial fever and chills. For 
some days we did nothing but doctor the sick. 
In the meantime the rain had ceased, and we 



138 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

began to hope. We removed to a station still 
nearer home. We sent one of our best 
preachers, A. Rungiah, to Secunderabad city 
for some supplies. While there he fell sick 
with a severe fever and could not get home. 
At one time all our native preachers and 
servants were down except one, and he was 
hardly able to walk about. Last of all, Mrs. 
Johnson took the fever, and I alone, through 
the mercy of God, was left to wait on the 
sick. But I cou4d not risk myself to doctor 
her, besides I myself might take the same 
fever at anytime. So we got on the train and 
went into the city where the services of a 
physician could be had. Mrs. Johnson was 
then almost past standing alone. We went to 
a boarding house, and at once sent for an 
English physician. After caring for Mrs. 
Johnson, my next duty was to hunt up my 
poor native preacher, who was lying near 
death's door. I found him praying. He said 
he had given up to die, if it were God's will, 
but he said he almost knew I would come to 
his relief that day ; for he had prayed con- 
stantly for four days and nights for God to 
send me to him, and if I did not come that 




ATHMAKUR RUNGIAH, 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 139 

day, he felt that he must die, for he was only 
growing worse. He did not know, however, 
that I was within eighty miles of him, or that I 
had any intention of coming to the city. 
When I entered the little veranda, on which 
he was lying, and spoke to him, without 
turning his head, though so weak, he lifted 
his hands toward heaven and said: '^O, God, 
I bless thee that thou hast answered my 
prayer." Then he looked me in the face, as 
he took my hand, and such expressions of 
gratitude I never saw, as then lit up his poor 
face. He said he knew then that he was 
saved. I hurried off immediately for a good 
doctor. No one had ever called a doctor or 
given him scarcely a bite to eat. The doctor 
came, gave him some good medicines, and 
left directions about his food. I then hired 
some natives to wait on him, give his 
medicine, and prepare and give him the proper 
kind of food. In a few days I was greatly 
surprised to see him able to walk, and he was 
among the happiest men on earth. The 
native treatment of diseases deserves special 
mention; not, however, that the medical 
fraternity of America might gain thereby 



140 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

much valuable information, but more fully 
to show another heathen extreme. India 
boasts very loudly of her former knowledge 
and claims especially to have led the world in 
the medical science. She says : "The Occident 
sat at her feet and learned of her the 
knowledge of medicine." But if she ever 
had cause to boast, she now has abundant 
reason to cover her face in shame. There are 
many native so-called doctors, and their 
medicines and methods of treatment are as 
different as the doctors themselves. Many of 
them make fluids of certain herbs and may 
occasionally give that which is needed to cure 
the disease. But they have no knowledge of 
physiology or hygiene, and usually are so 
extreme that they permanently injure or 
kill more than they cure. For example, they 
often pour the strongest kinds of fluids in the 
eyes and ears, in place of the mouth, to cure 
the colic or other stomach troubles. It seems 
almost too ridiculous to tell ; but for its truth 
we have the word of our medical missionaries 
who have had extensive practice among the 
people. They often tie the poor sick down 
on one side, from which position they must 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 141 

not move for long periods. Various other 
ridiculous performances are ordered. For 
what reason, I know not, unless to appear to 
know something and to be officious. Some- 
times they give nothing but sand, and the 
ignorant people in their distress take it in 
perfect faith. Tliere was one instance that 
was quite familiar to our Madras missionaries, 
where a woman was actually ordered to, and 
did, drink three quarts of cow dung, in order 
to be relieved of a devil that was supposed to 
possess her ! ! 

When we were on tour, and one of our 
native helpers had taken the chills and fever, 
I went out at night to give some medicine 
before retiring. I saw this man sitting in the 
midst of the tent in perfect agony, while 
another was down in front thrusting a pin 
up under his great toe nail and filling the 
hole thus made with a virulent poison extracted 
from some weed. The poor man had been 
taught, in his heathen state, to believe that a 
course of such treatment would cure the chills 
and fever. Medical missionaries are greatly 



142 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

needed in India, and they are among the most 
successful of our workers in leading the 
people to Christ. 



CHAPTER XII. 

The Sad Farewell: HomewaPwD Voyage: 

Stoem at Sea. 

Poor Mrs. Johnson was still suffering. For 
two weeks she struggled with that dreadful 
jungle fever before it began to give way. 
She was not able to gain strength. She 
remained in the city under the care of the 
doctor till the last of November. The doctor 
had repeatedly told us that her recovery in 
India was doubtful. The annual conference 
or association of the Deccan missionaries and 
native churches met in Palmoor, the first of 
December. By that time Mrs. Johnson had 
gained sufficient strength to go to the con- 
ference; as we thought a trip across the 
country in the open air would help her. The 
weather was cool enough then to be pleasant. 
After we arrived in Palmoor she seemed to 
grow no better. Mr. Maplesden then came 
sorrowfully to me and said that the doctor in 
Secunderabad had told him immediately 
before leaving the city that his final conclu- 



144 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

sion was that Mrs. Johnson's recovery in 
India was impossible, and begged him to urge 
us to leave the country at once. The whole 
conference of missionaries said we had better 
go without delay. Then came a burden that 
was equalled by only one other in life. We 
must say good bye to our work — which had 
been only fairly begun. We must say fare- 
well to our loved native people, which in 
truth was a far greater trial than leaving our 
friends in the homeland. Our friends at 
home could well get along without us ; but in 
India they needed us and we were bound to 
them, and to our work, by the strongest ties. 
How could we break them? How could we 
leave the land which had entombed our loved 
one? But the Lord had called on us to do so. 
Just as the sun went down, we all gathered in 
the yard under a mango tree. I then 
announced to my dear preachers the unani- 
mous decision of the conference, and of us 
all, that we must leave at once for America. 
Sad tears and mutual expressions of love from 
us all showed ties that were hard to be 
broken. But we must submit to our father's 
will; though we can't always see why he 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 145 

demands of us so much. Though we can't 
understand his ways, we must leave it all to 
Him and, trusting, obey his voice. 

With aching hearts we took our farewell 
and turned our faces toward Bombay. But 
Rungiah, who was so sick in the city, would 
not leave us. In his devotion he wanted, 
even, to follow us to America and declared 
he would live and die with me. I must 
confess that I have never met but few men on 
earth that I loved so well. He is such a 
devoted, sincere Christian, so humble, so 
Christ-like, that to know him is to love him. 
He is also an able man; he can read, write 
and speak fluently, four different languages : 
Telugu, Tamil, Hindustani and English. He 
was permitted to go with us to Bombay and 
stay to see us on the steamer. We then 
pointed him to his lost countrymen, whom 
he was so useful in leading to Christ, and as 
we bade him good-bye, assured him of our 
prayers and constant love. His picture shows 
the manly features of one of the noblest of 
the Telugus. 

Henry, also, who lost his little boy the 
summer before, was Rungiah's equal in most 



146 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

respects, and we shall always thank God for 
those two devoted servants of the Lord. 

December the 17th, 1892, on board the 
steamer ''Ganges" of the Peninsular and 
Oriental line, we looked for the last time upon 
the coral strands of that spiritually dark land, 
and the Arabian Sea lay out before us. To 
cheer our hearts in the sad hour, we tried to 
turn our thoughts to the homeland and loved 
ones far beneath the setting sun. We started 
out writing poetry, but returning now, it had 
all fled from us. In our cheerlessness we 
said: 

"0, that a song would sing itself to me!" 
We felt so sad and disappointed. 

In our homeward voyage, we encountered 
a fearful storm. For two days and nights 
the fury of the winds hung over us, and 
threatened destruction. It was in the Medi- 
terranean Sea, shortly after leaving the island 
of Malta we came into the gale which swept 
down upon us in dreadful power. The sea 
rolled high, the waves leaped into the sky, 
broke and fell in the beating winds like sheets 
of driven rain. Our ship rolled and plunged 
like a mad beast. We would go to the crest 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 147 

of a great wave like mounting high on a hill 
top, then as the wave fell another great one 
was gathering ahead, and when we plunged to 
the great trough below, a mighty wave rolled 
over us which for a while altogether buried us 
under the angry sea. When we came up the 
heavens were dark with fury above us and the 
seething ocean prepared again to swallow us 
into its awful depths. There was no cursing 
on board that ship, no idle song was heard, 
no vain word uttered. Children crying, 
women weeping as they sent up their repeated 
prayers to the God of the ocean, and strong 
men who never bowed the knee before were 
calling on the Almighty God for mercy. 

Yes, men will pray. People, in their 
fruitless attempts to move about, run their 
heads against posts and walls; the dishes fly 
from the table and break in heaps in some 
corner of the room. So the dreadful tumult 



goes on 
Wher 
clear and beautiful, the sea calm, and we 
wer€ 
God, 



When, on the third morning the sun rose 



were all saved, devout hearts gave thanks to 



''Who plants his footsteps in the sea 
And rides upon the storm." 



148 LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 

The trip to England was made at last, and 
we were snugly quartered in the Shaftsbury 
Hotel for a few days rest. The cold in 
England was most severe on us. I had, after 
going on the ship, given up to the malaria, 
which had for so many weeks been trying in 
vain to make me its victim. The Lord had 
certainly given me strength to withstand it in 
order that I might care for others ; but now 
that we were under different circumstances, 
there was no reason why I should not suffer 
as others had. I was sick during nearly all 
the voyage to England and that, added to the 
storm, made the voyage anything but a 
pleasant one. 

As we sped over the Atlantic at last our 
thoughts began to turn more engagingly 
toward the home land; toward the old home 
and loved ones. In our travels in other lands 
we had learned to love our own country, for 
there is none like her in all the borders of the 
earth. Dawned our last morning at sea. 
We were two hundred miles off New York. 
The ship seemed to plough the Atlantic all 
too slowly. But finally, 'twas past noon, we 
gazed steadily toward the west and saw, in 



LIFE AMONG THE HINDUS. 149 

the distance, the outlines of our homeland. 
We thanked God. There came to us as never 
before, those words : 

My native country, thee, 
Land of the noble free. 

Thy name I love; 
I love thy rocks and rills. 
Thy woods and templed hills; 
My heart with rapture thrills, 

Like that above. 
Then, 

" Like the benediction that follows after prayer," 

fell upon our hearts the sweet strains of 

**Home, sweet home!" 

And we were soon there. 







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